California IN BRIEF : SAN DIEGO : Action Urged as AIDS Cases Rise

An increase in AIDS cases among heterosexual drug addicts and their sex partners has prompted a local health official to urge the county to make a better effort to prevent the virus from spreading. Dr. Michele Ginsberg stopped short of advocating a needle exchange program for San Diego County but said the county’s latest AIDS statistics should cause elected officials to think about starting one. Figures compiled monthly by county health officials show a steady increase in the number of AIDS cases among heterosexual drug users, from less than 1% in 1985 to 7.6% in 1991. Since record-keeping started, 3,609 San Diego County residents have been diagnosed with AIDS. Of those, 2,374 have died.