A rural county in West Virginia has seen an uptick in HIV cases linked to opioid use, a trend many public health officials have long feared, reports Politico.
Health officials have confirmed 74 HIV cases in Cabell County, W.Va., since January 2018, with most infections occurring among illicit drug users.
The county has an "unusually robust" public health system that includes numerous surveillance and prevention programs, according to Politico. Despite these efforts, HIV cases still increased in the county, and the trend is worrying many health officials.
"This is the nightmare everyone is worried about," Judith Feinberg, MD, a professor of behavioral medicine and infectious diseases at West Virginia University in Morgantown, told Politico.
Cabell County's cluster of HIV cases represents one of the largest since 2015, when Scott County, Ind., reported more than 200 HIV cases linked to the sharing of contaminated needles.
To view Politico's full report, click here.