AIDS in Sicily: prevalence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in low and high risk groups.

A seroepidemiological survey, carried out to evaluate the prevalence of antibodies to HIV in patients with ARC and in healthy individuals at risk for AIDS, showed the infection to be widespread in the groups at risk, namely in drug abusers and hemophiliacs. However, remarkable difference existed between the prevalence of antibodies to HIV in drug abusers of the city of Palermo and those of other Sicilian provinces. Spread of the virus among Sicilian thalassemics, however, was very low and quite similar in all geographic areas. Antibodies were found very rarely (0.06%) in unpaid voluntary blood donors. The spread of the virus is still confined in high risk groups, and the major part of the seropositive blood donors were identified a posteriori as drug abusers.