Surveillance Report to June 30, 1999

November 1999

Division of HIV/AIDS Epidemiology and Surveillance
Bureau of HIV/AIDS, STD and TB
Public Health Agency of Canada

HIV and AIDS in Canada - Surveillance Report to June 30, 1999
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Information to the readers of HIV and AIDS in Canada

The Division of HIV/AIDS Surveillance of the Bureau of HIV/AIDS, STD and TB at the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC), Health Canada, is pleased to provide you with the HIV and AIDS Surveillance Report to June 30, 1999.

National level HIV and AIDS surveillance is possible as a result of all provinces and territories participating in, and setting directions for, HIV and AIDS surveillance. Accordingly, the Bureau of HIV/AIDS, STD and TB would like to acknowledge the contributions of all provinces and territories in Canada towards the production of this report. Without their close collaboration and participation in HIV and AIDS surveillance, the report would not have been possible.

The Division of HIV/AIDS Surveillance is continually working towards improving the report to reflect changing HIV disease surveillance requirements. We welcome and appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Yours sincerely,

Table of Contents

Commentary on Surveillance of Positive HIV Test Reports and AIDS Diagnoses
TECHNICAL NOTES: Positive HIV Test Reports and AIDS Case Reports in Canada
SECTION I HIV in Canada: Positive HIV Test Reports to June 30, 1999
Table 1.	Number of positive HIV test reports occurring between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by year of test, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 2.	Cumulative number of positive HIV test reports occurring in adults and children between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by gender, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 3A.	Number of positive HIV test reports among males between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by age group and year of test, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 3B.	Number of positive HIV test reports among females between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by age group and year of test, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 3C.	Number of positive HIV test reports between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by age group and year of test, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 4A.	Number of positive HIV test reports among adult males between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by exposure category and year of test, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 4B.	Number of positive HIV test reports among adult females between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by exposure category and year of test, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 4C.	Number of positive HIV test reports among adults between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by exposure category and year of test, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 4D.	Number of positive HIV test reports among children between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by exposure category and year of test, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 4E.	Number of positive HIV test reports between January 1, 1998, and June 30, 1999, by exposure category and age group, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 5A.	Total number of positive HIV test reports between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by province/territory and gender, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 5B.	Number of positive HIV test reports between November 1, 1985, and June 30, 1999, by province/territory and year of test, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 6.	Number of positive HIV test reports between January 1, 1998, and June 30, 1999, by exposure category and province/territory, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
SECTION II AIDS in Canada: AIDS Surveillance to June 30, 1999
Table 7.	Number of AIDS cases diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by year of diagnosis, Canada, reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999, and adjusted for reporting delay
Figure 1.	Number of AIDS cases diagnosed up to December 31, 1998, by year of diagnosis, Canada, reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999, and adjusted for reporting delay
Table 8.	Number and cumulative total of adult AIDS cases diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by year of diagnosis and gender, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 9.	Number of children and adult AIDS cases diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by gender, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 10A.	Number of male AIDS cases diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by age group and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 10B.	Number of female AIDS cases diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by age group and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 10C.	Number and percentage distribution of all cases of AIDS diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by age group and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 11A.	Number and percentage distribution of adult male cases of AIDS diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by exposure category and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 11B.	Number and percentage distribution of adult female cases of AIDS diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by exposure category and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 11C.	Number and percentage distribution of adult cases of AIDS diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by exposure category and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 11D.	Number and percentage distribution of children cases of AIDS diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by exposure category and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up August 27, 1999
Table 11E.	Total number of AIDS cases diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by exposure category and age group, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 12A.	Number and male:female ratio of AIDS cases diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by province/territory and gender, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 12B.	Number of male AIDS cases (all ages) diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by province/territory and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 12C.	Number of female AIDS cases (all ages) diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by province/territory and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 12D.	Total number of AIDS cases (all ages) diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by province/territory and year of diagnosis, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 13.	Number and percentage distribution of all AIDS cases diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by province/territory and exposure category, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 14.	Number and percentage distribution of all AIDS cases diagnosed up to June 30, 1999, by ethnic status, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
Table 15.	Number and cumulative total of deaths due to AIDS up to June 30, 1999, by year of death, Canada, and reported to LCDC up to August 27, 1999
SECTION III International Statistics - AIDS
Appendix 1. Instructions for using FaxLink
Appendix 2. Data Sources

Commentary on Surveillance of Positive HIV Test Reports and AIDS Diagnoses

Reported Positive HIV Tests
In the six-month period from January to June 1999, there were 1,122 positive HIV test reports (with duplicates removed to the degree possible) reported to LCDC by August 27, 1999. For the same period last year, only 877 positive HIV tests were reported to LCDC.

At the annual level, there were 2,307 positive HIV test reports in 1998 compared with 2,549 in 1997, 2,785 in 1996 and 2,992 in 1995.

Positive HIV test reports among women
As of June 30, 1999, adult women account for 13.0% of all positive HIV test reports for which age and gender are known. The proportion of positive HIV test reports among adult women is increasing. In the first six months of 1999, adult females accounted for 24.0% of positive HIV tests among all adults. In 1998, 21.5% of all adult positive test reports for which gender was known were among women. In 1997, the corresponding figure was 18.0%.

Positive HIV test reports among heterosexuals
There is an increase in positive HIV reports attributable to heterosexual sexual contact. In the first six months of 1999, 18.3% of all positive HIV tests among adults for which exposure category was known were attributable to heterosexual contact. In 1998, this exposure category accounted for 16.8% of positive HIV test reports; the proportion during 1985-1994 was 6.2%.

Positive HIV test reports among injection drug users
The proportion of positive HIV reports has also increased among injection drug users, from 8.9% (of all adult positive HIV test reports for which exposure category was known) during 1985-1994 to 29.8% in 1995 and 33.2% in 1997. For 1998 and the first six months of 1999, the proportion of positive HIV test reports in this exposure category was 28.6% and 29.1% respectively.

Positive HIV test reports among men who have sex with men
In contrast, men who have sex with men account for a decreasing proportion of the positive HIV test reports: 74.7% of reports for which exposure category was indicated during 1985-1994 as compared with 44.4% in 1995 and 37.3% in 1998.

Reported AIDS Diagnoses
A cumulative total of 16,628 AIDS cases were diagnosed in Canada up to June 30, 1999, and reported to the Bureau of HIV/AIDS, STD and TB, LCDC, by August 27, 1999; 16,438 were adults and 190 children (<15 years).

There were 11,661 AIDS-related deaths reported (70.1% of all reported AIDS cases), although this is likely an underestimate due to reporting delays and an unknown degree of underreporting.

Reported AIDS cases among women
From the beginning of the epidemic to the end of the current reporting period, 7.8% of all AIDS cases reported were among women. By June 30, 1999, the percentage of cases diagnosed among women was 12.4%.

Reported AIDS Deaths
From highs exceeding 1,400 reported AIDS deaths per year in 1994 and 1995, there were only 232 AIDS deaths reported by June 30, 1998. The first six-month period of 1999 saw 42 AIDS deaths reported, although delays in reporting will substantially increase this number.