Public health implications of HIV infection

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is the most extreme of a range of immune abnormalities that have been linked to infection with a recently described retrovirus. From a public health viewpoint, the most important advance to date has been the development of serum tests that detect exposure to this virus. Serologic screening has greatly reduced the risk of infection for transfusion recipients and facilitated surveillance studies and research. False negative tests clearly occur, and prognostic implications of positive antibody tests are not yet well-described. Primary care providers have a major role to play in public education for prevention of this new and frightening epidemic.