Germany reports first increase in HIV cases since 1997

A new report from the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's top disease tracking service, confirms that the number of new HIV infections in the country increased in 2002 for the first time since 1997. In Berlin alone 1,517 people tested positive for HIV in 2002, up from 1,478 the previous year. The report said that about half of the new cases in 2002 occurred among gay and bisexual men.