January 25, 2024 |
Photo – Carbon County Public Health logo – Courtesy CCPH
A large jump in the number of HIV cases in Wyoming has public health officials worried.
At the January 17th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Carbon County Public Health Outreach Coordinator Megan Cragun said Wyoming Department of Health’s Communicable Disease Unit released preliminary HIV numbers for Wyoming. Cragun said the number of HIV cases in the state jumped by nearly 70% in the past year.
HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a disease that attacks a person’s immune system. HIV is spread mostly through unprotected sex and hypodermic needle sharing. Left untreated. HIV can develop into AIDS.
Cragun said HIV cases in Carbon County increased by roughly 30% in 2023. The public health outreach coordinator said the increase in the number of HIV positive patients was high for our sparsely populated county.
Cragun said once the Centers for Disease Control issues its findings, she’ll institute a social media campaign to bring awareness to the spread of HIV in Carbon County.
For questions about HIV, or any health concerns, contact Carbon County Public Health at 328-2607.
