HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, The Royal Gazette has learned.

Staff pathologist Dr. Keith Cunningham admitted yesterday he was down to his last 50 pints of HIV-tested blood which is made up of only the common blood groups.

And that blood will not be used in routine surgery as it has to remain in the bank in case of an emergency, he said.

Dr. Cunningham said surgeons were advised last week to "think twice'' about performing routine operations in case there were complications and a blood transfusion was needed.

"It's definitely not worth the risk if the surgery can be put off,'' Dr.

Cunningham said.

He sympathised with patients scheduled to be admitted for surgery this past weekend saying it would certainly be an "inconvenience'' to them to have to put it off.

Although the last blood found to be contaminated with the HIV virus was more than three years ago, Dr. Cunningham said he would still advise patients to put off having surgery in cases where it was not a matter of life or death.

"You just can't take that chance (of contracting AIDS),'' he said.

The hospital has been out of the kits since the middle of last week, Dr.

Cunningham said.

A combination of two factors caused the hospital to run out of them. More than twice the normal amount of blood (about 110 pints compared to 50 pints) was used in March due to three patients admitted with ruptured aneurysms -- a major blood vessel. And there was a delay in the new batch of kits being shipped here.

A month's supply of the kits are shipped at a time with the new batch arriving one week before the hospital usually runs out of them, he said.

However, because of the abnormal amount of blood used during operations last month, the hospital ran out earlier than usual.

There was enough HIV-tested blood in the bank to last until the week ending April 5 when the new kits were expected to arrive, Dr. Cunningham said.

However, it became a problem when the new batch of kits on the way from their manufacturer in Illinois, was apparently bumped off a flight in Atlanta, the doctor said.

The kits consist of biological agents and materials to test blood for the HIV virus.

They have a limited shelf life so a one-year's supply cannot be stocked, Dr.

Cunningham explained.

"It's like importing fresh vegetables -- you can't stock a year's supply of fresh lettuce.'' Dr. Cunningham said the new kits are expected to arrive today or tomorrow. He said he had enough blood in the bank for at least 10 emergency operations.