Archive of "First Aids case discovered in Singapore", The Straits Times, 27 September 1986

=Scan of article & page=



=Editable text of article=

First Aids case discovered in Singapore

By GILLIAN POW CHONG

THE first case of Aids — 1 acquired immune deficiency syndrome — has been discovered in Singapore.

The patient, "a Singapore man who has travelled widely", is being treated for gut and chest infections at the Communicable Disease Centre at Tan Took Seng Hospital, Dr Chew Chin Hln. acting Permanent Secretary (Health), told a press conference yesterday.

It was confirmed on Thursday that he has clinical Aids, which means his Immune system is damaged, and his body is defenceless against infections.

Aids carriers have been found in Singapore but their condition is different from this man's as they have been exposed to the Aids HTLV-III virus, but do not have symptoms of the disease. Statistics from abroad Indicate about 10 per cent of carriers eventually get the disease The man has not been told he is suffering from the disease "following requests from his family and relatives who were calm and at the same time anxious about publicity when the news was first broken to them", said Dr Chew.

"But we want to discuss it with the family again because we feel the man. who has lost 10 kg in the past few months, ought to know of his condition." he said

The ministry does not believe he fails into any of the high-risk groups — haemophiliacs, homosexuals. prostitutes and intravenous drug users.

History of transfusions

But he has a history of blood transfusions during an operation abroad "The man is not quite clear when, as It was done many years ago." said Dr Chew.

Aids is a disease with a long incubation period and It is "very difficult sometimes to pinpoint the source of infection. But it is likely he contracted the Infection overseas through blood transfusions." said Dr Ong Yong Wan. chairman of the Aids advisory committee and director of the Blood Transfusion Services.

The man was admitted to a government hospital for chest and diarrhoeal infections and was transferred to the Communicable Disease Centre when he did not respond to treatment.

There has been no outcry from the staff, unlike when the first Aids carriers were discovered in April last year. This time, medical staff have been briefed on precautions to take when handling him.

They also have to be extra careful In prominently labelling bottles with his blood samples as ••bio-hazard", said Dr Jennifer Lee. director of the ministry's management services and administrative division.

"We are trying our treat his conchas far as curing is concerned, a different matin . said Dr Ong.

The man is responding to the potent antibiotics being given to him and his gut infection is clearing, though his chest infection is still not completely clear.

Dr Chew stressed that the disease cannot be contracted by such things as breathing the same air as the man or putting an arm around him.

Aids is passed on through sexual contact, blood transfusion, via open cuts, or infected hypodermic needles whether shared by patients In a hospital or between one drug user with Aids and his fellow drug users.

Another three men have been found to have the Aids-related virus, bringing the number of Aids carriers to eight. The new carriers — all men below the age of 40 — were discovered after a year's screening of some 20,000 blood donors.

It is not clear whether they fall Into the high-risk groups as they were not very forthcoming in the interviews, said Dr Ong.

=See also=
 * Archive of "Three in S’pore found with Aids-linked virus", The Straits Times, 10 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids virus: Doctor who 'found it'", The Sunday Times, 14 April 1985
 * Archive of "A chance to be ahead in medicine", The Singapore Monitor, 16 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids on ‘must report’ list", The Straits Times, 17 April 1985
 * Archive of "Undergrads to be taught about Aids", The Straits Times, 21 April 1885
 * Archive of "16 more may be carriers of Aids virus", The Straits Times, 30 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids doctor thanks mum", The Straits Times, 12 May 1985
 * Archive of "Special lab to do Aids tests soon", The Straits Times, 18 May 1985
 * Archive of "Man with Aids related virus in hospital", The Straits Times, 21 July 1985
 * Archive of "Aids carrier leaves hospital", The Straits Times, 28 July 1985
 * Archive of "Ministry steps up Aids drive", The Straits Times, 5 September 1985
 * Archive of "Singapore ‘first in the world’ to have 100 % screening of donor blood", The Straits Times, 11 September 1985
 * Archive of "S’pore-Stanford research tie-up bid", The Straits Times, 10 October 1985
 * Archive of "Aids: 20,000 cleared", The Straits Times, 29 November 1985
 * Archive of "200 turn up for first public medical convention", The Straits Times, 28 April 1986
 * Archive of "Screening tests likely to uncover more Aids carriers", The Straits Times, 1 May 1986
 * Archive of "100 people could be Aids carriers here: Expert", The Straits Times, 3 August 1986
 * Archive of "Aids claims first victim here", The Straits Times, 11 April 1987
 * Archive of "Fear of Aids pushes up condom sales", The Straits Times, 19 April 1987
 * Archive of "Govt dental clinics phasing out boiling", The Straits Times, 1 October 1987
 * Earliest cases of HIV/AIDS in Singapore
 * HIV/AIDS in Singapore's LGBT community
 * Paddy Chew
 * Avin Tan
 * Ajmal Khan
 * Calvin Tan
 * Adrian Tyler

=References=
 * Gillian Pow Chong, "First Aids case discovered in Singapore", The Straits Times, 27 September[].

=Acknowledgements=

This article was archived by Roy Tan.