More than half million Chinese now living with infections

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November 30, 2016 1:23 PM

According to the CDC, more transmissions among the young and senior males have been noted.

Volunteers light up candles in the shape of an HIV/AIDS awareness "Red Ribbon" during the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial in San Salvador May 17, 2015. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas/Files

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday said there were 654,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in China by the end of September, with 201,000 deaths.

CDC said sexual transmission accounted for 94 per cent of the infection.

“From January to September, 2,321 students, aged between 15 to 24 tested positive for HIV/AIDS, 4.1 times over that of 2010.

“In addition, 13,000 men aged above 60 discovered they were carrying the virus 3.6 times that of 2010,’’ the CDC said.

However, about 96,000 new cases in total were reported in the first nine months.

“In the same period, heterosexual sexual transmission accounted for 66.7 per cent of all cases, and homosexual activities accounted for 27.5 percent of transmissions,’’ the CDC said.

CDC added that mother-to-child and intravenous drug infection rates were low.

In 2015, over 32,000 men were reported to be infected with the virus through homosexual activities.

It noted that the number was 7,675 in 2010.

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