An HIV outbreak in central Maine has expanded to 43 confirmed cases after two additional infections were identified last week. This development has spurred action from health authorities and local community groups.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the latest cases in Penobscot County were diagnosed in April, as reported by the Bangor Daily News on Monday. This surge, which started in October 2023, significantly surpasses the county’s average HIV incidence, which typically consists of about two new cases annually.
According to the Maine CDC, nearly all those affected by the outbreak had either injected drugs or were homeless within the year leading up to their diagnosis.
Health officials caution that the actual number of HIV infections may be higher than currently reported figures suggest.
The situation has prompted a public health response focusing on the dangers of needle sharing among drug users, as underscored by warnings from the Maine CDC.
Community groups across the state have increased HIV testing and prevention work as officials try to contain the spread. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff also visited Penobscot County in December to assist with the response, according to the report.
The Maine CDC also identified a separate cluster of five HIV cases in November that had been detected in Cumberland County last year among people who inject drugs.
HIV attacks the immune system and can interfere with the body’s ability to fight infection and disease, according to the CDC. There is no known cure, but medication can help control the virus.
In nearly all of the reported Penobscot County cases, the people infected also tested positive for hepatitis C, the Maine CDC said. Hepatitis C is a liver disease that can be mild for some people but can lead to severe long-term complications, including liver cancer.
More than three-quarters of HIV patients tied to the Penobscot County outbreak received care within 30 days of diagnosis, according to Maine CDC figures. Among the 41 people in the outbreak currently living in Maine, 59% had reached viral suppression at their most recent test, meaning they cannot transmit HIV to others.