Abstract

PIP: The occurrence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Haitians and Haitian-Americans has remained an enigmatic aspect of the AIDS mystery. Although Haitians are currently classified as a high risk group, this designation has been disputed. The incidence of AIDS in recent Haitian immigrants to the US has been estimated at 84/100,000, which is lower than the 200-240/100,000 figure put forward for other risk groups. To better understand the spread of AIDS within the Haitian population, a serologic study of human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) seropostivity was performed on 88 healthy Haitians and 21 Haitians with AIDS in New York City. 95.2% of Haitian AIDS patients compared with only 1.1% of controls had a positive ELISA for HTLV-III infection. The low rate of seropositivity in health Haitians contrasts sharply with the prevalence of seropositivity noted in other high risk groups. For example, HTLV-III antibodies have been detected in 53% of healthy New York homosexuals and over 60% of drug users in New York and New Jersey. A likely explanation is that only a small segment of Haitian-Americans are really at risk of HTLV-III infection, and that this risk is conferred not by practices widespread in the Haitian community but by homosexuality, drug abuse, blood transfusions, or other as yet unidentified modes of transmission. Support for this thesis is provided by data from Haiti, where AIDS cases have been associated with bisexuality, an extremely high prevalence of veneral diseases, and contact with prostitutes. It is concluded that the designation of the entire Haitian community as a high risk group for AIDS may be inappropriate.