BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Louisiana’s Department of Health says doctors must now report all test results for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C – even tests indicating someone doesn’t have the ailment.
Louisiana has very high rates of all three diseases, which can be fatal.
Office of Public Health Assistant Secretary Alex Billioux says getting all test results will give a clearer picture of epidemics and efforts to stop them.
The department a negative test might not rule out an infection or might provide important information about treatment success.
It said in a news release Friday that the new rule follows recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
