Injection drug use and HIV/AIDS transmission in China

After nearly three decades of being virtually drug free, use of heroin and other illicit drugs has re-emerged in China as a major public health problem. One result is that drug abuse, particularly heroin injection, has come to play a predominant role in fueling China＇s AIDS epidemic. The first outbreak of HIV among China＇s IDUs was reported in the border area of Yunnan province between China and Myanmar where drug trafficking is heavy. Since then drug-related HIV has spread to all 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. This paper provides an overview to HIV/AIDS transmission through injection drug use in China. It begins with a brief history of the illicit drug trade in China, followed by a discussion of the emergence of drug related AIDS, and a profile of drug users and their sexual partners who have contracted the virus or who are vulnerable to infection. It ends by summarizing three national strategies being used by China to address both drug use and AIDS as major health threats.     

用分子遗传学及免疫学方法控制鱼类寄生性甲藻

寄生性甲藻,例如Amyloodiniumocellatum,给鱼类养殖带来严重的危害。虽然,近年来针对Amyloodinium的药物治疗有一些新的进展,如使用氯喹、过氧化氢和3,N泛影葡胺拉沙洛西等,然而,含铜类药物仍然是最有效的。近年来分子遗传学和免疫学的进展,使得我们能够更好地了解寄生性甲藻的流行病学及其防治方法。分子系统学研究认为某些寄生性甲藻,如Amyloodiniumocellatum,可以聚类为高度同源性的一支;而其它的如Piscinoodiniumpillulare,则可以认为不止一种或更高的分类阶元。这些分子分析也发展出一些高灵敏的检测技术,可以检测出环境中极少量的寄生性甲藻。通过对Amyloodinium的免疫学研究表明,鱼类能对寄生物的感染产生强烈的高度特异的保护性免疫应答,其中主要是抗体介导的免疫应答。鱼体皮肤和鳃也能表达内源非特异性多肽抗生素(类组蛋白),它们能对Amyloodinium造成致命的破坏。利用这些特异或非特异的免疫防御,将更有助于我们控制这些具有严重危害性的寄生性甲藻