In the last five months, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention identified three new cases of HIV in people who inject drugs in Penobscot County, a region that usually sees about two new cases each year.
All three of Penobscot County’s new HIV cases were also infected with hepatitis C, according to a Maine CDC health advisory issued on Monday. Two people are currently homeless and reported sharing or reusing drug injection equipment.
In the last five years, Penobscot County has seen an average of one new HIV case among people who inject drugs each year.
HIV is a virus that attacks a person’s immune system, destroying cells that fight infection and disease, according to the CDC. There is no cure for HIV, but it can be controlled with proper medical treatment. Without treatment, HIV can develop into AIDS.
Hepatitis C is a liver infection that’s spread through contact with an infected person’s blood. Hepatitis C can be a short-term illness in some people, but becomes a chronic condition in more than half and lead to serious and life-threatening conditions like cirrhosis and liver cancer, according to the CDC. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but it can be cured in most people with treatment.
The Maine CDC announced it’s working with community partners to increase access to HIV and hepatitis C testing among people who are at risk.
Maine has more than a dozen programs licensed to distribute free clean syringes to prevent the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and other bloodborne diseases. In 2022, the programs collectively distributed nearly 2.4 million new syringes.
In Bangor, the Health Equity Alliance and Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness are licensed to distribute syringes.
