Investigation Urged After Blood Incident
Los Angeles City Councilman Joel Wachs called for an investigation Wednesday into regulations on the handling of hazardous and contagious materials after the disappearance of blood contaminated with the virus that causes AIDS.
An Igloo cooler containing six vials of blood taken from patients previously determined to be carriers of the HIV virus were left outside the front door of ICS Home Health Services in Van Nuys for a courier pickup Friday night. The cooler, which was not locked down, disappeared between Saturday night and Monday morning.
Wachs said it is “unbelievable that vials of contaminated blood were knowingly left outside the building in an ordinary picnic cooler.
“Even more shocking is the fact that a Police Department investigation indicates that it is a common industry practice to handle contagious materials in such a careless manner.”
Wachs’ motion will be reviewed by the full council Friday.
Police believe that someone took the cooler and discarded the blood. Health officials said the blood would be dangerous only if it entered a person’s body through injection or a cut.
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