European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 12, 1993 . I the stars and stripes a Page 5 aids-1 Ike illness called no big danger Boston a last summer s scariest medical Story a mysterious outbreak of a new aids like sick Ness has apparently turned out to be a false alarm. Several reports published thursday conclude that the illness is not a new disease but Many old ones. A few people have fallen ill with symptoms that mimic aids but their condition is rare and not contagious and it probably results mostly from Garden variety bacteria and other germs not a terrifying new stealth virus doctors said. The cases represent a Hodgepodge of different Clini Cal and immunological entities. We Are not talking about just one disease said or. Scott d. Holmburg of the centers for disease control and prevention in at Lanta. ". ,.-.-. -.-. The newly recognized condition dominated head lines from last july s International aids meeting in Amsterdam. Several researchers described patients who had earmarks of aids but were not infected with his the aids virus. These included strikingly Low lev Els of Helper t cells also known As cd4 cells which orchestrate the body s defences against infections. Since then the condition has gotten a name idiopathic cd4 to Lymphocyte Popenia or ice and intensive study. In thursday s Issue of the new England journal of Medicine researchers published six reports on various aspects of it. When you look at the clinical epidemiological and Laboratory results one does t Sec a consistent  suggests perhaps this whole syndrome is com posed of patients with different causes said or. David to head of the Aaron Diamond aids research Cen Ter in new York City. Among other conclusions the condition is rare. In All my cases have Bee reported in the United states. The centers in Atlanta found Only two when it reviewed 230,179 cases in its aids files. It is not contagious. Spouses and acquaintances of victims have not caught it and it docs not seem to spread through blood transfusions. Many cases probably result from a menagerie of bacteria fun uses and other parasites. Poisons or environmental toxins also might play a role. A few apparent victims arc actually in the very Early stages of his infections. The condition has been around at least since 1983 and. Probably much longer. It was not recognized though because tests to measure the number ofic Lucr cell stave Only been available for a few years. .-.-. There is no reason to think a single virus is responsible for the bulk of cases. We arc keeping our minds open but so far we have not found Good evidence of a new infectious agent i ther in the lab or the Field Holmburg said. In an accompanying editorial in the journal or. An Thony s. Fauci chief of Federal aids research decried the Media frenzy  disclosure of the condition last summer. The uproar began with a Newsweek article on the eve of the conference where the aids tick illness was not intended to be on the program. Federal health officials taken by Surprise it first downplayed its importance. Only after Sharp questioning from other scientists did they Call it a priority. In the stars and stripes 1 0 years ago feb. 12,1983 israeli defense minister Ariel Sharon agreed to re sign yielding to pressure from Fel Low Cabinet ministers who agreed with an commission s finding that he shared blame for the massacre of palestinians in Beirut Lebanon. 20 years ago feb. 12,1973-thebritish, French italians and japanese or dered the closing of their currency exchanges in an Effort to buy time amid emergency talks on the Dollar crisis. 30 years ago feb. 12,1963 asian flu has hit the Eastern United states and has been found As far West As Kansas the . Public health service said. 40 years ago feb. 12,1953 Gen. James a. Van Fleet turned Over command of Allied forces in Korea to former Ber Lin commandant Gen. Maxwell 0. Taylor before he flew to Tokyo in route to retirement. 50 years ago feb. 12,1943 russian armies led by tank units attacked the Prin Cipal German defense lines at Ros Tov in an Effort to collapse the enemy position in the donets Basin. Wor War ii 50 years ago today feb. 12 Britain s 8th army begins spreading into Southern Tunisia from positions along the Frontier with Libya. Soviet forces capture Krasnodar a Corner of the Triangle held by the germans in the Kuban Region the red army cuts the rail line leading West from Rostov to Krasno Armeis. Narrowing the corridor for the German Retreat from the caucasus. Source. 2194 Days of War. W h. Smith publishers inc world almanac Book of world War ii b son books corp. 1981 a . Agrees to re hire 3 Gays who quit police los Angeles a the City Council decided wednesday to bolster its anti discrimination policies to protect homosexual workers and reinstate three homosexuals who claim harassment forced them to quit As police officers. Among other things discrimination against homosexuals will be grounds for dismissal from City employment Deputy City attorney Art Walsh said. The Council promised to adopt the regulations As part of a settlement that also includes full reinstatement and $770,000 in damages for former sgt. Mitch Grobe son and two other officers Walsh said. He said just As the City does t hire people who have Strong prejudices against people based on race or gender and just As the City will discipline people who display prejudice based on race or gender we Are going to have the same policies. Based on sexual  _ Grobson now an officer with the san Francisco police department and the other former officers claimed in a 1988 lawsuit that years of harassment Force them to resign. The other former officers Are sue he rold and a Man who requested confidentiality Walsh said. Former los Angeles police officers Mitch Grobson and sue Harold who arc Gay meet the press alter settling their suit against the City charging harassment. Dan Stormyr the attorney for the three said the harassment against Gro Boson included anti Gay messages relayed by patrol car computer terminals and the words Faggot get out scrawled on station bathroom Wall. When Grobson transferred in 1985 to a new station one officer called to Tell his new colleagues that a Faggot was com ing the attorney  said the changes will make the City s Gay rights protections the most comprehensive in the nation. Walsh however said the City was simply strengthening existing prohibitions against discrimination based on sexual orientation and setting up a procedure for handling complaints. The police department the personnel department the City Council is in agreement these arc valuable changes Walsh said. To that extent the Grosc son lawsuit has been very helpful the policy changes will offer More Protection for homosexuals who Are applying for jobs As Well As those who already Are on the City payroll. The agreement Autho Rizes managers to refuse to hire applicants who demonstrate anti Gay Bias and allows for the dismissal of employees who show  also requires the police department to include homosexual issues in its train ing programs Stormyr said. Officials want a closer look at store s lingerie modelling Revere mass. Up with Val Entine s Day approaching a lingerie Bou Tique is offering private modelling sessions but some City officials find nothing to love about the practice. The Dlack lace lingerie and More store is charging up to $100 for private sessions during which female employee Model provocative underwear. The store s answering machine says that no appointment is necessary and that there Are several Lovely models ready to privately Model the latest in Lin Gerie , some City officials said they think owner Beverly Luster is offering More than lingerie behind the closed doors. It defies common sense to have business owner allege that a Man walks into her store pays a $25 to $100 fee walks into a private room where a Model will then put on provocative lingerie and that nothing is expected to happen said City councilor Steven a. Colarossi. Councilor Pat w. Tofta agreed saying it almost sounds like a glorified Peep  Colarossi said he received a complaint from a woman whose husband had gone to the store to buy her lingerie and was offered the services of the models. He has called for an investigation. Luster however denied anything Ille Gal is going on. "1 did t know it was wrong to sell Lin Gerie said Luster who said some of her Best customers Are Revere police offi cers. Fired pants wearer Hopes for redress Lawrence township no. A a . Penney store that fired a woman for wearing pants to work reversed its dress code wednesday but has t decided whether to reinstate the employee. After a very fruitful meeting this morning it was decided that Slacks Are acceptable dress for our employees said Chuck Lune manager of the Chain s Quaker Ldridge mall store. Every . Penney store is instructed to incorporate a professional dress code but individual policy is left to each store. The store last week fired 38-year-old Diane Carter  a hair Dresser after she insisted on Wear ing Slacks to work