More A.I.D.S. Cases (Press, 17 September 1985)

On 17 September 1985, the Health Department announced the notification of two additional cases of AIDS in New Zealand, increasing the national total to 14. Mr John Clements, who heads the department's disease prevention team, shared that he had received preliminary information regarding these new cases, which followed two others disclosed the previous week. While specifics about the locations of the new patients were not revealed, Clements anticipated receiving further details later in the week. Bill Logan, the co-ordinator of the Wellington AIDS Support Network, responded to the new cases, indicating that they were expected. Logan had previously predicted that the total number of cases could reach 20 by Christmas based on overseas trends, where the incidence of cases had been observed to double approximately every six months. Additionally, Logan informed that a New Zealander recently arrived in Wellington with an AIDS-related condition, which was suspected to have originated from a blood transfusion. This individual had been residing in Australia prior to his return and reportedly contracted the AIDS virus during surgery six months earlier. However, the form of AIDS he had was described as non life-threatening, and he sought to reunite with his family. The situation highlighted ongoing concerns regarding the spread of AIDS and its implications for public health in New Zealand.

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