Epidemiological survey of HIV infection in the Veneto region of Italy.

A seroepidemiological survey of the Veneto region was undertaken to determine the prevalence of HIV antibodies in the sera of subjects belonging to known risk groups for AIDS and related conditions. The sera were tested by ELISA and confirmed by radioimmunoassay (Western blot). Of the AIDS patients sero-positive for HIV antibodies, 55% (6/11) were from the intravenous drug abuser group and 18% (2/11) from the homosexual group. A similar trend was seen in seropositive LAS patients, 85% (88/104) belonged to the drug abuser group and 6% (6/104) to the homosexual group. In seropositive asymptomatic subjects 83.7% (426/509) came from the drug abuser group and 4.9% (25/509) from the homosexual group. Thus drug abusers appear to be the major risk group in the Veneto region. They give rise to another risk group namely children born to seropositive drug abuser women. The seropositivity for HIV antibodies was low (0.02%) in subjects not in any risk group. Antibodies to HIV can be detected in amniotic, vitreous and cerebrospinal fluids as well as in sera