Indiana to declare public health emergency over HIV outbreak tied to IV drug use

Indiana’s governor is preparing to declare a public health emergency over a rapidly spreading, intravenous drug use-linked HIV outbreak in a rural southern county.

At least 72 people — all tied to Scott County — have been infected in southern Indiana since December, and another seven have preliminary positive HIV infections, health officials said. Scott County usually sees about five cases a year.

Gov. Mike Pence said Wednesday that he is considering a needle-exchange program as part of the public health emergency, which he is expected to formally declare Thursday.

Pence, a Republican, said he typically opposes exchanges as a means of drug control, but is listening to health experts, who believe the program could be crucial to curbing the current outbreak.

Needle-exchange programs allow people to turn in used hypodermic needles and get clean ones in an effort to keep diseases such as HIV and hepatitis from spreading.

The first HIV case was diagnosed in mid-December. By February, 26 people had been infected — but that number quickly tripled to today’s 72.

That number will continue to rise, health officials said. Officials are trying to contact as many as 100 people tied to those with confirmed infections of the virus that causes AIDS. IV drug use has been determined as the mode of infection in nearly all the cases, said state epidemiologist Pam Pontones.