At least 248 people in Japan were newly infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the three months from April to June, the largest number of new infections since a tracking system was introduced in 1994, according to the government's AIDS Surveillance Committee.
The committee said the increase in reported cases may be attributable to public awareness campaigns and greater availability of HIV testing at night and on holidays. The previous record for new HIV infections was 209 in the July-September period in 2004.
Of the newly infected people in April to June, 226 were men and 22 were women. By route of infection, 160 infections were attributed to homosexual contact, 152 of which involved Japanese men.