A total of 383 new HIV/AIDS cases were reported in Shenzhen in the first 10 months of this year, up 39 percent from the same period last year, officials from the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday.

At least 58 of the new cases developed full-fledged AIDS, and 10 people have died, they said.

"The disease is spreading rapidly in the city," said Feng Tiejian, a senior doctor with the Shenzhen CDC.

Nearly half of the new cases were reported in Longgang District, where the government carried out HIV/AIDS testing on addicts at the Longgang drug rehabilitation center for the first time this year.

Bao'an District, meanwhile, reported 111 new cases, accounting for 29 percent of the total. Bao'an and Longgang had more HIV/AIDS cases than other districts of Shenzhen because they have drug rehabilitation centers, prisons and a large migrant population, a report by the CDC says.

Drug addicts accounted for 55.9 percent of the new cases, followed by sexual transmission, which accounted for 31.9 percent. Sexual transmission is becoming an increasingly important channel for the spread of HIV/AIDS, said Feng.

Only 5.5 percent of the virus carriers hold permanent residence permits of Shenzhen, while the rest of them came from almost all over China, including two from Hong Kong.

“The huge number of migrant population imposes great challenge to the city’s prevention of HIV/AIDS,” said Feng, adding that most migrants were sexually active but with limited education.

The CDC is launching a major HIV/AIDS public awareness drive on the eve of World AIDS Day, which falls on Dec. 1.

The campaign will include putting HIV/AIDS advertisements inside public toilets frequented by high-risk groups, offering HIV/AIDS classes to workers of public venues, spreading the message of safe sex, and organizing donations for HIV/AIDS carriers.

Feng also urged people to avoid visiting unlicensed clinics, saying that contaminated medical equipment could spread HIV/AIDS.

"At the licensed hospitals in Shenzhen, medical equipments are thoroughly disinfected," he said.

A patient who recently sought treatment at a well-known Shanghai hospital for what he thought was an oral ulcer turned out to be a HIV carrier. HIV carriers often develop symptoms similar to oral ulcer.

(Shenzhen Daily November 17, 2005)