17 New AIDS Cases Reported, but Rate of Increase Falls

Another nine deaths have been attributed to AIDS and 17 more cases have been reported in Orange County since Aug. 26, but the rate of increase in the number of cases is continuing to decline, county Public Health Director Rex Ehling said Tuesday.

Ehling said that a total of 157 AIDS cases had been recorded as of Tuesday, compared to 140 on Aug. 26. The number of deaths has grown from 78 to 87 during the same period, he said.

“The number of cases is still increasing, but the rate of increase is still slowing down,” Ehling said. He explained that the county’s total number of AIDS cases doubled in 8.6 months, based upon 1984 statistics, but that it now takes more than 12 months for the number of AIDS cases to double.

Ehling said he doesn’t think anyone knows the precise reason for the slower growth rate but said public education and changes in people’s habits may be contributing factors.

“The fact that habits have changed has been documented,” he said. “But I want to remind everybody that we don’t know when these changes in habits took place. This disease has a long incubation period.”

Health officials have said that the incubation period for AIDS--the time it takes to develop into a noticeable infection--ranges from six months to five years or possibly longer.

Meanwhile, Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas F. Riley said Tuesday that he doesn’t know how the board will respond to the request of Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton) that all counties close bathhouses frequented by gays. Health authorities have said that sexual activity at bathhouses is believed to contribute to the spread of AIDS.

Riley said the board has not yet received Dannemeyer’s formal request, adding that he anticipated the issue and checked into whether there are any bathhouses in Orange County.

“Negative,” Riley said. “There aren’t any.”

Ehling said he doesn’t believe there are any bathhouses in the county like the commercial, storefront establishments that have received widespread publicity in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“Obviously there are bathhouses here, in the sense that there are probably some houses with baths, spas or saunas that are used by gays,” Ehling said. “But they don’t advertise in the Yellow Pages like they do in San Francisco.”