Page 8A
NEWS
Thursday, Novc ji
THE BATTALION
AIDS-related cancer may result from kissing
BOSTON (AP) — A form of the
herpes virus that causes an AIDS-re-
lated §kin cancer appears to spread
through kissing.
Herpes virus 8 was discovered six
years ago and causes a skin cancer
ealled Kaposi’s sarcoma. In the Unit
ed States, the cancer occurs almost
exclusively in people with AIDS.
Some had suspected that the vims
was transmitted through sexual inter
course, but the new research from the
yniversity of Washington, reported in
today’s New England Journal of Med
icine, contradicts that idea.
* Dr. John Pauk and others tested
39 gay men who were infected with
the virus but did not have Kaposi’s
6(ir
The important
thing is it suggests
that oral-oral con
tact plays some
role in transmis
sion, although
more study is need
ed to confirm that”
Dr. john Pauk
Researcher
sarcoma. They found the virus in 30
percent of their saliva samples and
mouth swabs, compared with 1 per
cent of anal and genital samples.
When present, the virus levels were
also much higher, in saliva than in
semen.
“The important thing is it suggests
that oral-oral contact plays some role
in transmission, although more study
is needed to confirm that,” said Pauk.
The study also found that homo
sexual men who engaged in “deep
kissing” — kissing that involves a lot
of contact with saliva — appeared to
be at substantially higher risk of
catching the virus.
Kaposi’s sarcoma causes purple
skin blotches and can also attack
the internal organs. Like many oth
er diseases that kill people with
AIDS, it usually affects those with
weakened immune systems. The
virus alone rarely causes sickness
among people with normal disease
defenses.
The research “definitely has pub
lic health implications for people in
fected with HIV” said Dr. Ronald O.
Valdiserri of the U.S. Centers for Dis
ease Control and Prevention. How
ever, he said there was not enough
data to recommend that people with
HIV avoid deep kissing.
Thirty percent to 50 percent of
HIV-infected people who catch her-
■day. No
Voting
Continued fromfi
pes virus 8 will eventually get Ka
posi’s sarcoma. Kaposi’s sarcoma
has been present for centuries in
Southern Europe, the Middle East
and Africa. It was rare in the Unit
ed States until the start of the AIDS
epidemic in the early 1980s.
Experts say the virus is still large
ly confined to homosexuals in the
United States, and that is why kiss
ing has not yet spread herpes virus 8
among heterosexuals.
Dr. Anna Wald, another Universi
ty of Washington researcher, noted
that herpes virus 8 is closely related
to the common Epstein Barr virus,
which causes mononucleosis, long
known as the kissing disease.
'0.
BREE f
e Baitti
their hometowns and regists
in the Bryan-College Stall
making it a busy time for ft
tax collector/voter registrar
Winn said he wanted to
dents and encourage voter
allowing A&M students to
volunteer deputy registrars,
"These students go to
student housing areas andi
people to vote in the B-Cl
Winn said. “Most of the sr.|
unteers belong to political (■'he N<
lions such as the Collegeiikollie
cans, the Aggie Democrais,deuce tli
Aggie Libertarian Party." ir-seasor
Winn said the deputy rewTe N
live days to get the applicatrtrid G. I
after receiving it. It isconsence tha
misdemeanor if a volunteer*home
does not return the applicaiilatches,
voter registrar within fivedaminly r
Winn and his staff receivetlfil, and
cations they run them throictoriou
send students their registratiSp, in 1
The students who saidthffcO fan
tered to vote and were denietB'We \
portunity to do so Tuesday aic out
want to know what happene'ole. ' W
voter registration applicatio ^iit out
Sophomore businessmajtBfhe A
Jones, who registered to vote leagu
College Republicans, saidh.T -0 co
the county tax collector’s(*' plact
find out what happened totiBthird ]
cation and was told the offiJiNebra
received his application.
“1 have requested from
an explanation of what h
Jones said. “Also I want to
location of my original regr
form, which contains very
personal information.”
In response to Jones’
Long pointed a finger in
rection by saying he turned
1,500 voter registration a|
and watched an employeeofij
er registrar’s office hand-cl
application to make sureM
information was correct.
“A&M students havenol
lowed to vote due to screwu)
| voter registrar’s] office." 1j;|
“I am not accusing themofpir
fully keeping students from'Outside
but I know for a fact thatJluntohseur
those cards personally,/®^
ee] would not let melet
checked them all.”
Winn said that era
some people in theB-CScoi
ty would not like toseestude(li|
he has continually pushed lot
said the secretary of state sail
people with only a receipt0(6
out a voter registration applit
should not be allowed tow
cause their application
processed. However, 1
told all of the Brazos County d
judges to allow people witid
ceipts to vote anyway becatK
said that he understands tta
fall through the cracks.
“I go out to the [MemoritdS
Center] once a month to regiti
dents,” Winn said.
Winn said he believes volt
right and that he would do at
in his power to make sure erf
either Democrat or Repubfc
the chance to vote.
Long said that after
filled out a voter registrar
cation, the application wasp
the College Republicanssld
John J. Koldus Student Si
Building. Long said he pifl
the applications from (lies-
every other day.
“We want an explanation!
has happened to our cardst?J
we really want is a public apol
those who were denied
chance to vote in a president-
tion,” Jones said.
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