Indiana HIV Outbreak: 190 People Infected; Opioid Use Believed To Have Transmitted Disease

The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is one of the most feared diseases in our society. Scott County, a small town in Indiana, has experienced an HIV outbreak that has left 190 people infected with the virus. This is a shocking statistic because Scotty County has a population of only 4,300 people.

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Health experts believe that opioid abuse should be blamed for the widespread HIV outbreak, Medical Daily reports. Opioid abuse usually involves the sharing of needles among its users. An HIV-infected needle can easily transmit the dreaded virus among people.

"Ten people believed to have indirectly fueled the epidemic through their involvement in a drug trade in town were arrested, and Scott County has implemented health and social programs to prevent the disease from spreading further," Medical Daily adds. Local health officials have responded by making HIV diagnosis and medications more accessible to the public.

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The rate of HIV infection in the country has steadily declined over the past few years. However, small communities with rampant drug abuse and poverty are more susceptible to an HIV outbreak. "In Scott County, it's about looking at those indicators that put [people] at risk for this HIV outbreak," Dr. Jerome Adams told USA Today.

This recent HIV outbreak should alarm the citizens of Indiana because HIV symptoms are very difficult to deal with. Fever, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, rashes, sore throat, lymph glands swelling and susceptibility to different kinds of infection are some of the earliest HIV symptoms, Mayo Clinic shares.