Local News in Brief : AIDS Cases Jump Sharply
The number of new AIDS cases in Los Angeles County jumped sharply during October, but officials attributed the climb to a broader definition of what constitutes a reportable case of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
There were 192 new AIDS cases in the county last month, as contrasted with 129 cases reported in September. All but one of the 192 new AIDS cases were reported among adults, according to statistics compiled by the county Department of Health of Services. The new figures raised to 3,869 the number of confirmed cases in the county.
County health officials and Supervisor Ed Edelman, who released the figures, said the sharp increase was due to the county’s expansion of its criteria for reporting AIDS cases to meet new guidelines by the federal Centers for Disease Control. In addition, the figures may reflect physicians returning from summer vacation and catching up on their caseloads, Edelman said.
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