Public health ‘not threatened’

Press, 23 October 1984, Page 4

Public health ‘not threatened’

PA Wellington The A.I.D.S. Support Network yesterday sought to calm fears that a man living in Wellington with the disease, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, was a danger to public health. The network, which is providing support for the man in co-operation with the Health Deparment, said it had had a number, of calls from people .worried about the description of . the disease, as highly infectious. A spokesman for the group said the description was inaccurate because, while A.I.D.S. was transmitted through blood transfusions and intimate sexual contact, there was no risk to the public health through

- ordinary social contact. “You can’t catch A.LD.S. from sharing a meal, shaking hands, or from using the same toilet,” he said. “It would be fair to say ? that measles and chicken pox are highly infectious, but quite inaccurate to make the-same claim about A.1.D.5.” , ? Butlhh Medical Officer of • Health, Dr Ellie Garden, ■ yesterday repeated the statement that the disease was highly infectious with sexual contact or through blood transfusion. "There is probably little risk in the other situations mentioned by the network but there does seem to be some doubt in medical circles,” Dr Garden said.