European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 26, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes thursday March 26.1987 Dod does t expect aids to change retention rules by Richard c. Gross up military writer Washington Pentagon officials predict no changes in their policy on retaining personnel As result of tests finding exposure to the aids virus among More than 2,100 Active duty military men and women. In response to a query from United press International the Pentagon released figures tuesday showing that As of december 2,139 uniformed personnel among 1.274.072 examined for the his antibody linked to aids hid tested positive officials said the rate of incidence on Active duty rosters was shown Between 1 and 2 per 1,000 people slightly higher than the steady 1.5 per 1,000 among applicants for recruitment there Are 2.1 million peo ple in the military. It was the first release of such figures although re sult of tests on recruit applicants Are disclosed routinely the Pentagon has been reluctant to reveal Active duty statistics because it has not finished what has become Iho world s most extensive aids testing pro Gram and because it is reviewing a policy on whether to retain personnel who test positive for the his anti body. The figures were made available to up after disclosure by or. Joseph Mayer assistant defense Secretary for health affairs at a March in heating of the Senate armed services committee s panel on manpower an personnel. I anticipate no changes in the policy on retention Mayer told senators at trial hearing. And his positive service member Are evaluated on their fitness for duty Ai their current rank and responsibilities. There is no medical reason to establish a different set of retention criteria for individuals infected with his he said a positive test for the human immunodeficiency virus Means Only that an individual has been exposed to aids not tint he or the a contracted the deadly acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Currently recruits who test positive air barred from service but Active duty men and women Are retained. Including the 976 of 641,220 recruit applicants who showed exposure to aids As of september the figures released tuesday bring to 3,115 the number of people examined by the military who have been infected by the disease. The Active duty personnel testing positive included 1,116 members of the 531,430 tested in the Navy and Marine corps 797 of 569,158 examined in the  and 226 of 173,484 tested in the air Force officials said the statistics translate into a rate of 2 per 1,000 for the Navy and Marine corps 1.4 per ,000 for the  and 1.3 per 1,000 for the air Force. " but we dont know All the data one official cautioned. Of what we be got that s what the rues Are. We Doat know what they mean yet the Navy Marine corns and  Are expected to finish testing in six months official said and the air Force in another year. A of last week the Federal centers for disease control had noted 32,825 reported cases of aids in the United stale including 19,021 deaths. Expert warn of in estimated 23,000 new cases ibis year. Aids which prove fatal by destroying a body s immune system and leaving victim vulnerable to other diseases is transmitted through blood and women should Hove aids test before pregnancy Coop says Washington a any woman who wants to have a baby should be tested for aids before becom ing pregnant. Surgeon general c Everett Koop said tuesday. Hoop s advice came during a question and answer period at the National press club in which he was asked about mandatory aids testing for people apply ing for marriage licenses "1 can t understand Why it is so controversial he said. I would think anybody who is getting married today would want to be tested and would want to know whether i or her intended spouse had the aids virus. One of the things i think is most important about this. Is my great concern for the babies who Are born to. Positive mothers he said i think no woman should contemplate a pregnancy without  wanting to be tested for the aids  some researchers say there is about a go percent Chance a woman infected with the Sims will pass it on to her Newborn child. Koop a Strong opponent of abortion was asked whether abortion is an option for a pregnant woman who discovers she has the aids virus. If you wanted to give her til the possibilities thai were available to her you would have to mention abortion he said. These things Are not reported scientifically yet but they will be. Ii is my understanding that in major obstetrical clinics on the East coast. Where the population has a High incidence of. The aids virus that women who Are pregnant under 13 weeks Are being advised to have abortions and about so percent of those i understand arc indeed having  Koop said the general resistance to aids toting for marriage applicants is a hangover from the old Days of syphilis when a person with syphilis could not obtain a License unless undergoing treatment but in those Day our culture was quite different he said if you could t get married the chances Are John and Mary would not live together. Today John and Mary three quarters of them Are living to Gether before they gel married so you Don t have any weapon either cultural or Legal that you can  Fra warns of poisonous Castor oil1 Washington a the food and drug administration tuesday warned that three brands of Cas Tor Oil distributed in 21 Stales and the District of co Lumbia May contain instead a poisonous liniment. Two ounce bottles of Castor Oil May have been sold under the Brand names rite Aid. Gray drug fair and Peoples drug and May contain spirits of camphor if the Label bears the lot number a19a, the Fra said. The Fra estimated at least 1,700 possibly Misla bleed bottles May still be in Consumers hands. While Castor Oil is sold to be swallowed As n laxative spirits of camphor can result in convulsions coma respiratory arrest and death. Fra spokesman Bill Grieg said no illnesses have been reported but Only a few Teaspoons could kick off problems that could Lead to respiratory difficulties and even death if prompt medical attention is not  camphor can be detected by its Strong and pungent odor and has a thin watery consistency compared to the thick and viscous nature of Castor Oil. The Fra also said the company that distributed the potentially its labelled bottles Pennex products co. Inc., of Verona a. Advised that its camphor would be packaged in Amber coloured bottles and its Castor Oil in Clear bottles. Pennex notified the Fra of the Label mix up and is recalling All 7,740 bottles bearing the lot number a19a. About 2,000 of that number have been recovered and 30 among the 2,000 were i stabled said Grigg. Those bottles had been distributed by a West Vir Ginia warehouse that primarily serves Ohio West Vir Ginia North Carolina and Western Pennsylvania. Any rile Aid Gray drug fair and Peoples drug Castor Oil or camphor spirits with the Al 9 a lot num Ber should be returned to the place of Purchase. Other states covered by the amen Alabama Connecticut Delaware Georgia Indiana Kentucky Maryland Massachusetts Michigan new Hampshire new Jersey new York Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Vermont and Virginia. Stateside radioactive cargo of after train strikes car St. Louis apr a freight train carrying two casks of waste from the three mile Mana nuclear Power Plant Mnick a car but the radio Active cargo was unaffected. The train resumed its journey about 10 Mir Uta after the tuesday morning Accident said patrolman Kevin Condon who was at the scene. The train consisted or two engines and six can Condon mid. The Lead engine struck inc car which was crossing the tracts even though warning lights and Bells were  cars Driver 35-year-old Darryl Cranberry said inc signals had been malfunctioning and he hid thought such was the Case tuesday con Don said. Cranberry was issued a citation for violating a Railroad crossing signal Condon said. He was treated Tor minor injuries in Barnes hos Pital and released said a Hospital spokesman. Rain on spilled chemical puts toxic Cloud Over Road Saluda , a a granular chemical filled from an overturned tractor trailer and combined with rain to form a toxic Cloud. Tore ing the evacuation of about 100 people Early wednesday authorities said. No injuries were reported. The Cloud does t seem to be moving right now said a dispatcher with the Polk county sheriff department who would not give he name. It just seems to be hanging Over the Saluda exit right at the  Section of interstate 26 around the wreck Lite was closed after inc Cloud formed at 2 a.m., and Reti Denu within a mile were evacuated to the Saluda tire department and a school gymnasium in Saluda she said. Chrystal Stowe of the state department of crime control and Public safety said the truck was carrying aluminium Chloride anhydrous which is poisonous if inhaled. Emergency Crews from the state emergency management division department of transportation and the local lire department worked to clean up the spill Black aldermen agree to majority White District Edwards Mia. A the All Blade Cit government responding to complaints by Whites who said they weren t feeling fairly represented have agreed to create a majority White District in a new Ward system. The agreement made tuesday allows for establishment of tour wards in a five Alderman government with one official elected Al Large currently All five aldermen Are elected at Large which leaves the 450 White residents outvoted la the 1.515-population town. We have one predominantly while Ward which should ensure us some representation said Larry Mcnair president of the Bank of Edwards and spokesman for the White group. Mcnair said the agreement would end plans for filing a lawsuit against the City. . Laryngitis spreads to senator from Wyoming Washington a after berating re porters last week for questioning president Rea Gan sen. Alan Simpson r-wyo., wednesday borrowed a trick from Reagan and pretended Mohave laryngitis during a picture taking session at the White House. Sitting near Reagan in the Cabinet room Simpson smiling broadly put his hands to his Throat and whispered  wednesday on the eve of Reagan s first news conference in four months Simpson had accused reporters of a sadistic Little disservice to the country by continuing to question the president on inc Iran Contra affair. You re asking him things because you know he s off balance and you d like to stick it in his Gazoo Simpson said last week. But talking 10 reporters in the while House driveway lifter inc wednesday photo session Simpson said i was an Inu rest inn  a to have said that. 1 wish i had said it differently. I really do. Gazoo sticking is obviously a team sport and i be Hod ii played upon me and i wish 1 had t done