[The epidemiological surveillance of AIDS in Panama].

The authors report the results of the epidemiological surveillance of AIDS in Panama and they detail the incidence according to sex, place of residence, the mode of contagion and mortality. They point out that in children less than four years of age the infection occurred more frequently in girls, while it affected boys and men, predominantly, in all other age groups. Furthermore, since 1991 there was an increase in the number of affected women and men and the pattern of mainly homosexual mode of transmission changed to a heterosexual one. Since the majority of patients were between 20 and 40 years of age and the incubation period of the disease ranges from 5 to 10 years, it is assumed that infection occurred in adolescence in many patients. Infection occurred by sexual exposure (homo-hetero-or bisexual) in the majority of patients and less frequently by blood products (hemophiliacs, i.v. drug users) and or perinatally.