Gareth Colfer-Williams, 25, died last week at his home in Swansea, the city at the centre of an epidemic of the disease which has reached 942 cases.

BBC: Gareth Williams

Breaking the silence and putting an end to the stigma surrounding this disease have become an integral part of the fight against the epidemic.

UNESCO: Social and Human Sciences

"The disease isn't becoming an epidemic, " says North Shore's Bernstein.

FORBES: The Next HIV?

But at the moment, the apparent increase could be attributed to any number of factors, such as better diagnosis, or random fluctuations in the incidence of the disease, rather than the start of an epidemic.

ECONOMIST: Mad-cow disease

Among a wide field of potent prescription painkillers -- which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says are fueling an epidemic of abuse in the United States -- hydrocodone may have been flying under the radar among doctors.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Mr. Chen said there are no signs of an epidemic but noted the approaching springtime is the key period to prevent disease.

WSJ: Dead Pigs Worry Shanghai

"Many countries are seeing the rising tide of an epidemic and all doctors need to know how to recognise and diagnose this disease and what treatments are available, " he said.

BBC: NEWS | Health | West 'facing asbestos epidemic'

For example, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a community dealing with an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes that has the highest rate of cardiovascular disease deaths in the nation, the award will help 1, 600 physicians and other providers participate in a new community-wide health information system that will help them better monitor and improve care transitions as patients move from one care setting to another.

WHITEHOUSE: New Recovery Act Investments in Health IT

The return of the International AIDS conference to the U.S. marks a moment to celebrate the American leadership and efforts that have transformed the response to the epidemic, to remember the lives lost to this disease, and to recommit to the vision of an AIDS-free generation.

WHITEHOUSE: AIDS Memorial Quilt in the White House