TWO LARNACA police officers could face an anxious wait of up to six weeks to find out if they have been infected with HIV after being attacked and bitten by a suspect who was HIV positive.
The two men received urgent medical attention after a British man infected with HIV bit one officer and scratched the other when he tried to escape from police custody.
The officers where guarding the man while he was waiting for an appointment with a state psychologist at the Nicosia General Hospital.
Under normal circumstances, the chances of contracting HIV from a bite are extremely remote, however initial press reports have suggested that the detainee was bleeding from a cut on his mouth and gums.
At the time of his arrest on Sunday, the man was believed to be under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs and the judge had asked for him to be examined by a state psychiatrist.
According to haematologist Antonis Papatryphonos, the chances of catching the virus increased if the reports that the man was bleeding were true.
“While I am not aware of exact statistics, generally the chances that someone who is bitten by another person who is HIV positive are very, very remote as there is a very low viral concentration in the saliva,” he said.
“However, the chances do increase if the man was bleeding from the mouth due to something like a tooth extraction. It depends entirely on the victim’s mouth, but even then you cannot say yes or no, there is no definite answer. It further depends if the attacker made a deep cut and whether there was any blood on the skin after the bite.”
Papatryphonos added that if the reports that one of the officers was only scratched by the detainee were accurate, then he did not really have anything to worry about.
On the question of the length of time that the two Larnaca policemen would have to wait before the results to determine whether or not they had been infected by the virus, Papatryphonos responded that it could be anything from 14 days to six weeks.
“If the virus is transmitted then antibodies are produced within two to three weeks. The tests which will establish whether or not the virus has been transmitted normally take from 14 to 20 days, but sometimes more, they could even have to wait for up to six weeks,” he told the Cyprus Mail.
The two police officers were taken to Larnaca General Hospital after the incident where they received urgent medical attention.
“Normally in such cases, as it seems has happened in the case of the police officers, the victims should be treated for precautionary reasons. If the virus particles have been transmitted then such medication will attempt to eliminate them,” Papatryphonos added.
Chief of Police Iacovos Papacostas expressed his sympathy to the two officers and confirmed that the government would be providing the two officers with any assistance they required.
The detainee, who is considered to be dangerous due to his mental instability, was taken to a psychiatric institution.
