RICHMOND (WSLS 10) - Two disease intervention specialists from Virginia left for Indiana Monday to lend their expertise to that state's HIV outbreak response. They are from the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Epidemiology, Division of Disease Prevention, who work in Richmond and Norfolk.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has extended a needle-exchange program in a southern Indiana county to help combat the outbreak. Pence approved a 30-day extension of a March 26 executive order declaring a public health emergency in Scott County, about 30 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky. Pence opposes needle exchanges as part of anti-drug policy but allowed the Scott County program under his executive order.
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Indiana health officials say there are more than 130 confirmed and preliminary HIV cases tied to the county. Officials say the cases are linked to intravenous drug use.
Scott County typically sees about five HIV cases each year. Health officials expect the number of cases to rise as more people are tested.
The specialists from Virginia will help with that effort, providing public health assessments, including interviewing individuals and collecting their blood or other samples for laboratory testing for HIV.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.