[Legal questions in the prevention and control of AIDS with special reference to the area of responsibility of the public health service].

AIDS has stimulated public interest in the legal aspects of the Federal German Law on Epidemic Diseases. Publications do not always accurately describe the legal situation. Land governments should have paid more attention to the provisions restricting the use of disinfectants to certain approved products. Some regulations enforced by Federal government are even null and void because they have overlooked relevant passages in the Federal German law. Although on principle Public Health offices are expected to conduct investigations regarding AIDS infection of certain persons, circumstantial evidence or suspicions are usually insufficient so that action cannot be taken or is mostly unnecessary. Coworkers in AIDS counselling bureaus of Public Health offices are not obliged to testify or to make a deposition in court, not even if they are government officials. Non-medical officials or coworkers can undertake some aspects of counselling work on their own responsibility.