Following recent media reports speculating that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) new estimates of domestic HIV incidence will show an increase of new infections from 40,000 each year to close to 60,000, CDC issued a statement on December 3 clarifying that while it is developing an improved system to estimate the number of new HIV infections in the U.S., the estimates are not yet final.  According to the statement, "As a result of new technology that can distinguish recent from longstanding infections, the new system will provide the clearest picture to date of new HIV infections in the United States."  While CDC cannot confirm what the new number will be, officials indicate that HIV incidence has not necessarily gone up.  Rather, the new estimates are more accurate than previous models which have placed new annual infections at 40,000 for well over a decade.  CDC has submitted the new estimates to scientific, peer-review journals for publication to ensure accuracy and anticipates an early 2008 publication.