Here's an interesting non-story about a Texas prisoner who "claims to be infected with HIV" who sent a letter to a judge that "appeared to be contaminated with blood".
Although it's only in a local paper, at least the journalist got some expert advice about the potential infectivity of blood-stained paper.
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, cannot live outside the human body for more than 30 minutes, so there isn't any chance that the contaminated letter could infect another, according to Olufami Fawey, a program director for the Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation.
"It's unhygienic," Fawey said, "but as a matter of infectivity, the virus does not live outside the body. There's zero possibility."
Story from the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, below.
Prisoner mails court letter and maybe blood
By Dan Kelley
August 12, 2008
An inmate who claims to be infected with HIV mailed a letter to federal court that appeared to be contaminated with blood.
U.S. District Judge Hayden Head ordered Monday that nearly all of the inmate's mail be inspected to make sure it does not contain blood, fecal matter or other dangerous substances. He also no longer will be allowed to send mail to Head.
The inmate, Patrick Reid, 60, is incarcerated at the McConnell Unit in Beeville, for assault of an elderly individual and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has represented himself in a handful of lawsuits in federal court.
There are two categories of mail in Texas prisons. Mail to friends and family are regularly inspected. To protect attorney-client privilege and free-speech rights, mail to attorneys, the courts and to the news media are not inspected.
Jason Clark, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said there have been other incidents in which prisoners mailed unpleasant substances to the outside.
"It happens on occasion," Clark said. "You're dealing with a population that didn't abide by the rules on the outside. Occasionally, they don't follow the rules on the inside."
Clark said the incident is under investigation by prison officials who may pursue charges.
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, cannot live outside the human body for more than 30 minutes, so there isn't any chance that the contaminated letter could infect another, according to Olufami Fawey, a program director for the Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation.
"It's unhygienic," Fawey said, "but as a matter of infectivity, the virus does not live outside the body. There's zero possibility."
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