The Region - News from March 4, 1985

A blood test to detect the virus associated with AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) that was licensed by the Food and Drug Administration should arrive in Los Angeles blood banks in a few days, a county health department official said. But Los Angeles County health officials are urging high-risk individuals not to go to blood banks for the test. Dr. Shirley Fannin, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health, emphasized that the test is not a test for AIDS, but merely a test to see if the donor has been exposed to the virus HTLV-III, which is associated with the disease. The test does not measure infection even if the virus is still present, so it is not really useful for individuals in the high-risk groups to take the test, she said.