While it’s possible the government’s position on transmission of hepatitis C among boomers may have resulted in less testing, it’s critical today boomers forget any fears of stigma and get the easy blood test.
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Researchers
Recommend Curtailing Massive Unsterile Injecting FARMINGDALE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 2000--
The Farmingdale-based UNIVEC Corporation (Nasdaq:UNVC),
the internationally recognized maker of auto-disable syringes, is
heralding Preston Marx, Ph.D. and Ernest Drucker, Ph.D. on the release of
their paper, "The Injection Century: Consequences of Massive
Unsterile Injecting for the Emergence of Human Pathogens" at the
Royal Society in London at a meeting entitled "Origins of HIV and the
AIDS Epidemic."
In the paper, these world-renowned scientists substantiate UNIVEC's long held claim that "continued massive unsterile injecting has the capacity to significantly alter the global ecology of infectious diseases, accelerating epidemic spread of human pathogens." According to Dr. Marx, Tulane University's Director of AIDS Research and Chief of Virology, and Dr. Drucker, Director of the Division of Community Health at New York City's Montefiore Medical Center, the introduction of antibiotics in the 1950's led to an abrupt and massive increase in unsterile injections and transmission of several newly emerged human pathogens, significantly HIV and Hepatitis B and C. The doctors warn that new strains of HIV or other pathogens could emerge as a result of current practices.
"In addition to facilitating the spread of
existing diseases," say Drs. Marx and Drucker, "massive
unsterile injecting may also have fostered the creation of new ones."
"We hypothesize that the massive increase in
unsterile injecting in Africa associated with the introduction of
antibiotics in the 1950's was the modern `event' that allowed several
weakly pathogenic simian virus, long native to Sub Saharan Africa, to
increase in pathogenicity and complete their genetic adaptation to human
hosts, emerging as the first epidemic strain of HIV by 1959."
Joel Schoenfeld, Chairman of UNIVEC, said,
"these respected experts confirm our call for the exclusive use of
auto-disable syringes in mass immunization programs and for clinical use.
As the World Health Organization estimates, unsafe injections cause
approximately 30,000 new HIV infections, 8 million HBV infections and 1.2
million HCV infections world-wide every year."
"Why does the world's medical community
continue to ignore these figures?," said Schoenfeld. "What it
should do is stop the practice of allowing multi-use syringes in every
immunization and clinical program the world over. Only when we adopt an
auto-disable syringe policy, to be mandatory in all mass vaccination
programs, will we contribute significantly to the scourge of disease
around the world."
The UNIVEC technology is for auto-disable syringes
that can effectively deliver vaccines in a safer manner than with
traditional syringes. The UNIVEC syringe prevents re-use and the needless
spread of disease. The devices can deliver predetermined doses from 0.05
to 1cc needed to deliver medication, including vaccines, which may prevent
contagious diseases from spreading.
UNIVEC is a world leader in auto-disable syringes
and is leading the global movement for a conversion to auto-disable
syringes from traditional multi-use syringes. Traditional multi-use
disposable syringes are acknowledged by the World Health Organization to
be responsible for the spread of disease to millions of people each year.
CONTACT: UNIVEC Corporation Joel Schoenfeld, 631/777-2000
UNIVEC@UNIVEC.com
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