THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, October 8, 1996              TAG: 9610080328
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A4   EDITION: FINAL 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                        LENGTH:   20 lines

RARE STRAINS OF AIDS TURNING UP IN THE U.S.

Scientists are discovering that AIDS is far more diverse in America than previously thought, and they are scouring the globe for AIDS strains to ensure that U.S. tests for the disease are able to detect every type.

Doctors here weren't too worried in 1994 when France first sounded the alarm that an exotic, hard-to-diagnose strain of AIDS was spreading. Then doctors found the first U.S. case in July.

Last month, scientists uncovered a second U.S. resident infected with this rare type of HIV, named Group O. Meantime, researchers said they also are investigating a small cluster of New Yorkers with signs of still different AIDS strains never before seen in this country.

KEYWORDS: AIDS by CNB