EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND SEROLOGICAL STUDIES IN HIV-INFECTED ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS TO ISRAEL

In the last 10 years, Ethiopian Jews have immigrated to Israel in larg e numbers. Up to 1990 they came directly from their remote villages in northern Ethiopia and no HIV infection was detected in the several th ousands that came. In contrast, 1.74% of approximately 14 000 new immi grant Ethiopians who arrived in 1991-92, after spending more than a ye ar in Addis Ababa, were HIV positive. Several infants born in Israel f ollowing the latter immigration were found to be infected, whereas mor e than 2500 children born in Ethiopia were negative. Sexual transmissi on during their stay in Addis Ababa is thought to be the only route of infection, and therefore this is a newly infected population. Immunol ogical studies revealed very low CD4 count in HIV-infected people. HIV -negative Ethiopian immigrants to Israel also have a lower CD4 count t han the general Israeli population. Further studies are currently unde r way to look at the natural history of this particular HIV-infected g roup.