Maine county sees alarming spike in HIV cases, prompting action from health officials

A cardinal Maine county's HIV outbreak has grown to 43 cases aft 2 caller infections were reported past week, prompting a effect from nationalist wellness officials and assemblage organizations successful the state.

Both recently reported Penobscot County cases were diagnosed successful April, the Bangor Daily News reported Monday. The outbreak, which began successful October 2023, has acold exceeded the county’s emblematic HIV lawsuit count. Penobscot County usually sees astir 2 caller HIV cases per year, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly each of the radical infected successful the outbreak person reported either injecting drugs oregon experiencing homelessness wrong 1 twelvemonth of their diagnosis, the Maine CDC said.

Public wellness officials person warned that the existent fig of infections is apt higher than the detected total.

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Penobscot County successful Maine has reported 43 cases of HIV, prompting a Maine CDC effect successful the state, informing of sharing needles from cause use. (Fox News)

Community groups crossed the authorities person accrued HIV investigating and prevention enactment arsenic officials effort to incorporate the spread. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unit besides visited Penobscot County successful December to assistance with the response, according to the report.

The Maine CDC besides identified a abstracted clump of 5 HIV cases successful November that had been detected successful Cumberland County past twelvemonth among radical who inject drugs.

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HIV attacks the immune strategy and tin interfere with the body’s quality to combat corruption and disease, according to the CDC. There is nary known cure, but medicine tin assistance power the virus.

In astir each of the reported Penobscot County cases, the radical infected besides tested affirmative for hepatitis C, the Maine CDC said. Hepatitis C is simply a liver illness that tin beryllium mild for immoderate radical but tin pb to terrible semipermanent complications, including liver cancer.

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More than three-quarters of HIV patients tied to the Penobscot County outbreak received attraction wrong 30 days of diagnosis, according to Maine CDC figures. Among the 41 radical successful the outbreak presently surviving successful Maine, 59% had reached viral suppression astatine their astir caller test, meaning they cannot transmit HIV to others.