HIV cluster rises to 53 cases in West Virginia county

West Virginia health officials say the number of HIV cases in Cabell County has risen to 53.
(Cabell County is part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area)

The Herald-Dispatch reports the total increased by four cases in the past four weeks and nine cases in the past nine weeks.

The cluster has spread primarily among intravenous drug users.

The cluster, tracked since January 2018, represents a sharp uptick from the baseline average of eight cases annually over five years. Cabell County’s is currently the only active HIV cluster in West Virginia.

The situation is still defined as a cluster rather than a full outbreak. The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health characterizes a cluster as being confined to a certain population— in this case, IV drug users — where it may be able to be controlled with minimal risk to the general public.

https://www.apnews.com/859050c7bb8c422d984ed0b9056b1fa3