Number of AIDS
cases drops in Illinois

Illinois health department officials announced this week that the number of new AIDS cases dropped in the state in 2005 but that newly diagnosed HIV infections climbed slightly over 2004 levels, the Chicago Tribune reports. The department reports there were 1,366 new AIDS cases reported in 2005, down from 1,410 in 2004. New HIV infections climbed to 2,540 in 2005 from 2,523 in 2004. African-Americans accounted for about half of all the new HIV or AIDS cases reported in 2005. (The Advocate)