The Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health of the Hong Kong government announced Tuesday that 96 people tested positive for the HIV antibody in the third quarter of 2006, bringing the cumulative total of reported HIV infections to 3,100.

The predominant route of HIV transmission in this quarter remains to be sexual contact. The 96 cases comprised 81 males and 15 females.

Of the 96 new cases, 29 acquired the infection via heterosexual contact, 31 via homosexual or bisexual contact and nine through intravenous drug use, while the routes of transmission of the remaining 27 cases were undetermined due to inadequate data, according to the center.

In this quarter, the most commonly presenting AIDS defining illness was mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, followed by pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2006)