Report

HIV Infection Investigation in a Rural Area - West Virginia, 2017

Armstrong, John, Reynolds, Pamela, Thompson, Antoine, Weidle, Paul J, Mark-Carew, Miguella, Haddy, Loretta, Karuppiah, Amarnath Babu Periasamy, Cibrik, Sharon, Kirk, Nathan, Blankinship, Deborah, Evans, Mary E, Agnew-Brune, Christine, Hogan, Vicki, Ocfemia, M Cheryl Bañez, Panneer, Nivedha, Rose, Bridget, Young, Sherri A, Salmon, Melinda, Lee, Chang, Labuda, Sarah M, Buchacz, Kate, Scott, Melissa, Hoffman, William, Gupta, Rahul, McGraw, Dondeena, Burton, Kenya, Wills, David

2018

Overview

Evans et al provide details on a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection investigation in a rural area in West Virginia in 2017. From January to July 2017, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WV DHHR) identified 10 cases of HIV infection in three counties where HIV diagnoses typically range from six to 13 annually. In these counties, the spread of blood-borne pathogens via injection drug use (IDU) is a major public health concern, and risk reduction programs offering syringe services were not available, although they were available in other counties. WV DHHR implemented strategies to limit further transmission of HIV among the men who have sex with men population and among persons who inject drugs. WV DHHR is expanding access to HIV testing and plans to work with county health departments to implement additional preexposure prophylaxis clinics. In addition, in November, WV DHHR selected 11 health care entities across West Virginia for funding, including entitites in five of the counties in this investigation, to support comprehensive community-level prevention programs that include syringe services programs where they are permitted and desired. Continued efforts are underway to further characterize the HIV transmission network and potential HIV transmission through IDU risk behavior among patients and their extended contact networks.

• Publisher: U.S. Center for Disease Control
• Subject: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome / AIDS / Bloodborne viruses / Clinics / Counties / Departments / Disease prevention / Disease transmission / Drug abuse / Drugs / Health care / Health services / HIV / Human immunodeficiency virus / Human resources / Infections / Men who have sex with men / Needle exchange programs / Patients / Prevention programs / Public health / Risk behavior / Risk reduction / Rural areas / Rural communities / Sexually transmitted diseases / Social programs / STD / Tests / Viral infections / Viruses