Aids On The Increase

A CDC HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, that was quietly released recently, shows a “catastrophic” 48% increase in US HIV infections between the years 2005 and 2006. The number of infections jumped to 52,878 new reported cases in 2006 up from 35,537 reported in 2005. With the lifetime costs of one HIV-infected individual’s treatment and care estimated to be $600,000, these new CDC surveillance numbers suggest a $36 billion aggregate cost for caring for these nearly 53,000 individuals.