Officers urge passage of mandatory disease testing law

CARSON CITY -- Nevada firefighters and police want to force anyone who splashes blood or other bodily fluids on them to be tested for communicable diseases.

Representatives of police and firefighters urged lawmakers Thursday to pass AB483 to mandate that anyone who voluntarily or involuntarily exposes emergency workers to blood, feces or urine be tested immediately.

"In trying to save us, they expose themselves to other types of health risks and we have to protect them with whatever kind of protection we can," said Assembly Judiciary Chairman Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks, the bill's author.

Supporters say if emergency workers are exposed to a significant amount of bodily fluids, they know as soon as possible if that exposure could lead to serious health problems.

"Before this, we couldn't do anything for testing," said Las Vegas Metro Police Lt. Stan Olsen, representing the Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs Association.

To force a test on someone who has exposed them, emergency workers would have to get a public health officer to convince a judge that they have indeed been exposed - which in the case of HIV could be just a prick with an old hypodermic needle.

Getting faster test results would help officers avoid the stress of not knowing whether they've been exposed and would also allow them to seek treatment immediately if test results are positive.

This is especially important in cases of HIV, supporters say. After exposure, emergency workers can seek a certain type of treatment, called prophylaxis, which will significantly reduce the chance of contracting HIV.

"Prophylaxis treatments are most effective within the first hour and have to be started within 24 hours to be most effective," said Raymond McAlester of the Professional Firefighters Association.

State Health Officer Mary Guinan cautioned that supporters of the bill can't bank on a negative test in hopes of avoiding the four-week treatments, which have nasty side-effects including nausea, vomiting, headaches and diarrhea.

"I want to be very clear that when prophylaxis is used, it is not dependent on the testing of the person who exposed you. If the person is tested HIV-negative by a standard lab, it is possible that person is really HIV-positive and not showing it," Dr. Guinan said, adding that it could take up to eight weeks for an accurate test result.

But Anderson said: "We are not trying to avoid taking necessary health precautions."

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