State to docs: report all results of tests for 3 diseases

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 (Bee-yoo) 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.