Test to Detect AIDS’ Virus Begins Here : County’s Program Under Way Without State, Federal Funds

The Orange County Health Care Agency on Friday began using a newly licensed blood test to detect evidence of the virus believed responsible for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, becoming probably the first public health agency in California to embark on such testing, public health officials said.

Rather than wait for a decision on state or federal funding and state guidelines on confidentiality of the results, Dr. Rex Ehling, Orange County public health officer, said, “We’re moving forward because we think that is our responsibility.”

Ehling cautioned that the blood test is not yet available on demand because of limited resources. “But to the extent possible, we’ll take care of the people who come in,” he said.

Limits of Test

A positive reaction to the test shows only that a person has been exposed to the Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus III, not that a person has or is likely to get AIDS, health officials said.

Dr. Martin Finn, medical director for Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services, said his department has no plans to begin the testing at this time and expressed surprise that any county health agency had begun testing in advance of pending state legislation on the issues of funding and confidentiality of test results.

Larry Bush, administrative assistant to Assemblyman Art Agnos (D-San Francisco), said as of late last week the public health department in San Francisco had not even ordered the kits to test for antibodies to the HTLV-III virus.

Bills in Senate

“Orange County is the first public health entity I’m aware of doing this testing,” said Bush, who handles health and social issues related to AIDS for Agnos.

Agnos and Assemblyman Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles) have bills in the state Senate that would provide funds for testing blood for antibodies to the HTLV-III virus at sites other than blood banks. The legislation would also establish guidelines to protect the privacy of those persons who test positive for the antibody.

The Orange County chapter of the American Red Cross will begin testing all blood donations on Monday, said Dr. Benjamin Spindler, medical director of blood services for the Santa Ana based organization.

Health and blood bank officials have feared that gay or bisexual men and others at higher risk of contracting AIDS would flock to blood donation centers to be tested for presence of the AIDS virus. But because the test, recently licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, produces a significant number of false positive and negative results, members of high risk groups have been encouraged to stay away from blood centers and obtain tests elsewhere.

‘Window of Vulnerability’

Bush said the absence of other locations where the test is available has created a “window of vulnerability”--potential contamination of the blood supply by persons in high-risk groups--for blood donation centers like the American Red Cross facilities.

“It appears Orange County has moved quickly and responsibly to close that window,” Bush said in a telephone interview from San Francisco Friday.

Finn said he was “a little surprised that any county had jumped in to begin testing,” adding, “I wonder where they are getting the money?”

Orange County has spent about $4,000 out of the public health budget for approximately 800 blood test kits and necessary instruments, said Rick Greenwood, director of the county Health Care Agency’s public health laboratory.

Free for Clinic Patients

The test will be free for patients at the county’s Special Diseases Clinic, located at 1725 W. 17th St., Santa Ana. Referrals from private physicians will be charged $23 per test.

Greenwood said the laboratory staff ran a first test on 88 blood samples Friday. Of those, 35 were samples from individuals in low risk groups, all of which tested negatively for presence of the HTLV-III antibody. Of the remaining 53 samples from high-risk groups, 38 tested positive and 15 tested negative for the antibody. Greenwood said the number of positive reactions among the high-risk group tested was expected, based on past experience with the test.

According to Greenwood, research to date indicates that only 10% of the people who have reacted positively for the HTLV-III antibody develop AIDS. There is concern, however, that anyone who tests positive may be capable of spreading the disease.

High Death Rate

AIDS is a mysterious and deadly disease that destroys the body’s protective immune system by attacking infection-fighting white blood cells. As of Feb 25, 4,145 of the 8,597 people in the United States diagnosed as having the disease had died.

Since it first appeared in the United States in 1979, AIDS has almost exclusively been limited to sexually active gay or bisexual men, Haitians, intravenous drug users, hemophiliacs and others exposed to contaminated blood products.

Ehling said information about anyone tested at the county clinic will remain confidential.