MEXICO CITY, March 6 (Reuters) - Mexico's armed forces will obey a Supreme Court ruling to re-enlist a group of HIV-infected soldiers discharged because of their condition, military officials said on Tuesday. In a case brought by 11 former service members, the court last week prohibited the armed forces from discharging soldiers and naval officers with HIV or AIDS unless it could prove them medically unfit for duty. The decision could trigger further court cases for some 300 Mexican military personnel fired for HIV-infection. Top officials in the army and navy have reviewed nearly all 11 cases presented to the court and of those will readmit the living claimants, the defense ministry said on Tuesday. In the case of one soldier who has died, the armed forces will provide benefits to the family. "We will re-enlist any persons the court determines should be reinstated to active service," the defense ministry said in a statement ahead of a court hearing on the cases. The armed forces also said they would provide medical treatment to HIV-infected soldiers if ordered by the court, as is the case for at least four of the claimants. Medical experts say properly treated HIV patients do not put other people at risk of the deadly AIDS virus. It is primarily spread through drug use and sexual contact. Mexico has a relatively low HIV infection rate, although of the 1.7 million people with HIV living in Latin America, two-thirds live in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, according to the United Nations.
