Role of the dental surgeon in the early detection of adults with underlying HIV infection / AIDS

A review is made of the late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, a subject of growing interest in public health. It has been estimated that in Europe 30% of all HIV-infected people are unaware of their seropositive condition, and this in turn is associated with a poorer long-term disease prognosis and an increased risk of transmission to other individuals. The role of the dental surgeon in this context could be of great importance, since there are many oral lesions that can suggest the existence of underlying infection. The study also addresses the controversial subject of rapid HIV testing, and whether these tests should be performed on a routine basis in the dental clinic, or whether it is preferable to refer the patient to a specialized center

Beyond viral suppression of HIV - the new quality of life frontier

BACKGROUND: In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a new Global Health Sector Strategy on HIV for 2016-2021. It establishes 15 ambitious targets, including the '90-90-90' target calling on health systems to reduce under-diagnosis of HIV, treat a greater number of those diagnosed, and ensure that those being treated achieve viral suppression. DISCUSSION: The WHO strategy calls for person-centered chronic care for people living with HIV (PLHIV), implicitly acknowledging that viral suppression is not the ultimate goal of treatment. However, it stops short of providing an explicit target for health-related quality of life. It thus fails to take into account the needs of PLHIV who have achieved viral suppression but still must contend with other intense challenges such as serious non-communicable diseases, depression, anxiety, financial stress, and experiences of or apprehension about HIV-related discrimination. We propose adding a 'fourth 90' to the testing and treatment target: ensure that 90 % of people with viral load suppression have good health-related quality of life. The new target would expand the continuum-of-services paradigm beyond the existing endpoint of viral suppression. Good health-related quality of life for PLHIV entails attention to two domains: comorbidities and self-perceived quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Health systems everywhere need to become more integrated and more people-centered to successfully meet the needs of virally suppressed PLHIV. By doing so, these systems can better meet the needs of all of their constituents - regardless of HIV status - in an era when many populations worldwide are living much longer with multiple comorbidities

Incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a multicenter cohort of HIV-positive patients in Spain 2004-2011: increasing rates of HCV diagnosis but not of HCV seroconversions

OBJECTIVES: We aim to describe rates and risk factors of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) diagnoses, follow-up HCV testing and HCV seroconversion from 2004-2011 in a cohort of HIV-positive persons in Spain. METHODS: CoRIS is a multicentre, open and prospective cohort recruiting adult HIV-positive patients naïve to antiretroviral therapy. We analysed patients with at least one negative and one follow-up HCV serology. Incidence Rates (IR) were calculated and multivariate Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted Rates Ratios (aIRR). RESULTS: Of 2112 subjects, 53 HCV diagnoses were observed, IR = 0.93/100 py (95%CI: 0.7-1.2). IR increased from 0.88 in 2004-05 to 1.36 in 2010-11 (aIRR = 1.55; 95%CI: 0.37-6.55). In men who have sex with men (MSM) from 0.76 to 1.10 (aIRR = 1.45; 95%CI: 0.31-6.82); in heterosexual (HTX) subjects from 1.19 to 1.28 (aIRR = 1.08; 95%CI: 0.11-10.24). HCV seroconversion rates decreased from 1.77 to 0.65 (aIRR = 0.37; 95%CI: 0.12-1.11); in MSM from 1.06 to 0.49 (aIRR = 0.46; 95%CI: 0.09-2.31); in HTX from 2.55 to 0.59 (aIRR = 0.23; 95%CI: 0.06-0.98). HCV infection risk was higher for injecting drug users (IDU) compared to HTX (aIRR = 9.63;95%CI: 2.9-32.2); among MSM, for subjects aged 40-50 compared to 30 or less (IRR = 3.21; 95%CI: 1.7-6.2); and among HTX, for female sex (aIRR = 2.35; 95%CI: 1.03-5.34) and <200 CD4-count (aIRR = 2.39; 95%CI: 0.83-6.89). CONCLUSION: We report increases in HCV diagnoses rates which seem secondary to intensification of HCV follow-up testing but not to rises in HCV infection rates. HCV IR is higher in IDU. In MSM, HCV IR increases with age. Among HTX, HCV IR is higher in women and in subjects with impaired immunological situation

Epidemiologic Features and Control Measures during Monkeypox Outbreak, Spain, June 2022

During June 2022, Spain was one of the countries most affected worldwide by a multicountry monkeypox outbreak with chains of transmission without identified links to disease-endemic countries. We provide epidemiologic features of cases reported in Spain and the coordinated measures taken to respond to this outbreak.S

Epidemiología de la infección por VIH en inmigrantes en España: fuentes de información, características, magnitud y tendencias Epidemiology of HIV infection in immigrants in Spain: information sources, characteristics, magnitude and tendencies

En España, la proporción de inmigrantes en la población general y entre las personas con infección por VIH es creciente en los últimos años. Sin embargo, la información sobre las tendencias temporales de la epidemia en inmigrantes y sobre sus características sociodemográficas, epidemiológicas y clínicas es escasa, y está fraccionada en diversas fuentes de información que cubren aspectos complementarios. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron analizar las fuentes de información disponibles que permiten caracterizar la epidemiología de la infección por VIH en los inmigrantes en España, y describir la situación actual de la epidemia en este grupo de población a partir de la información disponible en dichas fuentes.Lately Spain, the proportion of immigrants has increased in both general and HIV-infected populations. Nevertheles, data on the temporal trends of the epidemic in immigrants and on their sociodemographic, epidemiologic and clinical characteristics are scarce and are scattered in various information sources that cover complementary aspects of this issue. The objectives of the present study were to analyze the available information sources that allow the epidemiology of HIV infection in immigrants in Spain to be studied, and to describe the current situation of HIV infection in immigrants, based on the available information sources

La guía de cribado de la infección por el VHC en españa: Un proceso interdisciplinar con enfoque de salud pública

Within the framework of the Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis and the Strategic Plan for tackling hepatitis C in the Spanish National Health System, the Secretariat of the National Plan on HIV & STIs and the Unit for Screening Programs in the Ministry of Health have coordinated the policies around the screening of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Spain. This paper describes the experience and learnings arisen around it. The key points of the process include interdisciplinary work through a Technical Group made up of experts from the different fields involved; the availability of scientific evidence for decision-making, highlighting the 2nd Seroprevalence Study in the general population; and a public health approach along the entire process. As a result, the recently published Guideline on hepatitis C testing includes the indication for HCV testing for people with risk exposures and situations, as well as the main recommendations to improve screening and linkage to care in the most affected populations. We hope that this Guideline and the continuation of joint work will be a step towards equitable access to the diagnosis and treatment of HCV infection in Spain.En el marco de la Estrategia Mundial del sector de la salud contra las hepatitis víricas y el Plan Estratégico de Abordaje de la Hepatitis C en el Sistema Nacional de Salud (SNS), la Secretaría del Plan Nacional sobre el Sida, junto a la Unidad de Programas de Cribado del Ministerio de Sanidad, han coordinado entre 2019 y 2020 las políticas estatales en torno al cribado de la infección por el virus de la hepatitis C (VHC) en España. En este artículo se describe la experiencia y reflexiones surgidas en torno a ella. Como puntos clave del proceso destacan el trabajo interdisciplinar a través de un Grupo Técnico en el que han participado personas expertas de los diferentes ámbitos implicados; la disponibilidad de evidencia científica para la toma de decisiones, especialmente el 2º Estudio de Seroprevalencia del VHC en población general; y el enfoque de salud pública transversal a todo el proceso. El resultado se muestra en la recién publicada Guía de cribado de infección por el VHC, en la que se indica el cribado a personas con exposiciones y situaciones de riesgo para la infección, así como se recogen las principales recomendaciones para mejorar el cribado y la vinculación al seguimiento y tratamiento. Esperamos que esta Guía y la continuación del trabajo conjunto supongan un impulso al acceso equitativo al diagnóstico y tratamiento de la infección por el VHC en España

Desarrollo del pacto social por la no discriminación y la igualdad de trato asociada al VIH

Advances in treatment and care have improved the life expectancy and quality of life for people living with HIV. However, those infected with HIV remain exposed to the social stigma that continues to be associated with this condition and sometimes experience discriminatory treatment in areas such as health, education, the judiciary or the workplace, and in access to benefits and insurance. There is a lot of evidence that the discrimination and stigma associated with HIV alienate people from prevention, diagnosis, treatment and quality of life services. This situation is exacerbated by social, economic and cultural status, as social and structural inequity facilitates increased discrimination and unfair treatment in the daily lives of people living with HIV. In response to this situation arises the need to establish a Social Pact for Non-Discrimination and Equal Treatment Associated with HIV, agreed and signed by social and institutional agents key in the response to HIV. Its aim is to eliminate the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS, ensuring equal treatment and opportunities, non-discrimination, respect for fundamental rights and diversity of those affected. Reducing discrimination against people living with HIV is one of the priority objectives of the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare’s Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of HIV and other STIs, currently extended to 2020. It is aligned with the UNAIDS cross-cutting objective of zero discrimination and with the fourth objective of the 90-90-90-90 strategy, which should ensure that 90% of people with HIV and viral loadLos avances en nuevos tratamientos y en la atención sanitaria han mejorado la esperanza y la calidad de vida de las personas con el VIH. Sin embargo, quienes tienen esta infección siguen expuestos al estigma social que sigue asociándose a esta condición, experimentando en ocasiones un trato discriminatorio en ámbitos como el sanitario, el educativo, el judicial o el laboral, así como en el acceso a prestaciones y seguros. Existen numerosos datos que muestran que la discriminación y el estigma asociados al VIH alejan a las personas de los servicios de prevención, diagnóstico, tratamiento y calidad de vida. Esta situación se acentúa según la posición social, económica y cultural, ya que la inequidad social y estructural facilita el aumento de la discriminación y del trato injusto en la vida diaria de las personas con el VIH. Como respuesta a esta situación surge la necesidad de establecer un Pacto Social por la No Discriminación y la Igualdad de Trato Asociada al VIH, consensuado y suscrito por los agentes sociales e institucionales claves en la respuesta frente al VIH. Su objetivo es eliminar el estigma y la discriminación asociados al VIH y al Sida, garantizando la igualdad de trato y de oportunidades, la no discriminación, el respeto de los derechos fundamentales y la diversidad de las personas afectadas. Disminuir la discriminación hacia las personas con el VIH es uno de los objetivos prioritarios del Plan Estratégico de Prevención y Control del VIH y otras ITS, del Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social, actualmente prorrogado hasta 2020. Está alineado con el objetivo transversal de cero discriminación de ONUSIDA y con el cuarto objetivo de la estrategia 90-90-90-90, en el que se debería de asegurar que el 90% de las personas con el VIH y supresión de carga viral tengan una buena calidad de vida relacionada con la salud

HIV infection in migrants

Desde 1995, España se convierte en un país receptor de inmigrantes, fenómeno que no ha parado de aumentar hasta nuestros días. Actualmente residen en España más de 4 millones de extranjeros. La inmigración tiene la capacidad de poner a los individuos en situación de más vulnerabilidad. El mecanismo de infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) en inmigrantes y minorías étnicas más frecuente es el heterosexual. El número de personas que viven con el VIH en el mundo sigue aumentando (39,5 millones de personas en 2006), así como el de defunciones causadas por el sida. En el año 2006, se estimaba que en España había aproximadamente 130.000 personas que vivían con el VIH/sida, y los casos de sida en personas originarias de otros países han aumentado en los últimos años. El sida en inmigrantes de cualquier origen, y más en los de África subsahariana, se asocia a una frecuencia más elevada de enfermedad tuberculosa. Para hacer un diagnóstico diferencial correcto, es necesario conocer los agentes patógenos oportunistas de distribución tropical. En toda la Unión Europea se observa una disminución progresiva de los casos de sida desde la introducción del tratamiento antirretroviral de gran actividad, pero esta disminución es significativamente menor en los inmigrantes. Esto podría deberse a un acceso peor a los sistemas de salud por barreras administrativas, legales, lingüísticas y culturales.Immigration to Spain has greatly increased since 1995. Currently, more than 4 million foreigners are resident in the country. The immigration process increases vulnerability. The most common route of HIV infection in the immigrant population and ethnic minorities is heterosexual transmission. The number of people living with HIV worldwide (39.5 million people in 2006) and the number of those dying from AIDS continues to increase. In 2006, there were an estimated 30,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Spain. The number of cases of AIDS in immigrants has risen in the last few years. AIDS in immigrants from any country, and especially in those from sub-Saharan Africa, is associated with a greater frequency of tuberculosis disease. Knowledge of opportunistic pathogens with tropical distribution is required for a correct differential diagnosis. Throughout the European Union, the number of AIDS cases has progressively decreased since the introduction of highly effective anti- HIV treatment, but this decrease has been significantly lower in immigrants. The difference may be due to lower access to health systems caused by administrative, legal, cultural and linguistic barriers.Sin financiación1.432 JCR (2008) Q3, 68/91 Microbiology; Q4, 43/51 Infectious diseases.UE