New HIV cases up 33 pct in August

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - New cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the Philippines rose by 33 percent on year to 509, the Department of Health (DOH) said today.

This brought the January to August new HIV cases to 3,908, according to data released by the DOH. A total of 113 people who developed the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) died during the period.

Of the 509 new cases recorded in August, 146 belonged to the 15- 24 age group. There were also 12 deaths due to AIDS last month.

Figures from the DOH showed that the primary modes of transmission were sexual contact and needle-sharing among drug users. Males having sex with other males was the predominant type of sexual transmission.

Since the registry started in 1984, the Philippine government has reported a total of 20,424 cases. The DOH has recorded a total of 1,052 deaths due to AIDS.