HIV :: Alarming rise in HIV/AIDS cases in Bihar

There has been an alarming rise in HIV/AIDS cases in Bihar during the past six years even as the state government has spent crores of rupees to contain the deadly disease.

A severe immunological disorder caused by the retrovirus HIV, resulting in a defect in cell-mediated immune response that is manifested by increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and to certain rare cancers, especially Kaposi’s sarcoma. It is transmitted primarily by exposure to contaminated body fluids, especially blood and semen.

Quoting the Sentinel Surveillance Report for 2006-07 carried out by the State Aids Control Society, its Executive Director K P Ramaiah confirmed “alarming” rise in HIV/AIDS cases.

“The situation is turning from bad to worse,” he said.

The dreaded disease was spreading to new areas as ten districts, where no case of HIV/AIDS was detected earlier, were now having high prevalence of it, he said.

The districts include Banka, Lakhisarai, Madhepura and Rohtas while the East Champaran and West Champaran districts on the Indo-Nepal borders were the “worst-hit,” Ramaiah said.

According to the report, the number of cases of HIV positive patients rose to 4,254 during 2006-07 as against 2,786 in 2005-06.

In 2001-02, only seven HIV/AIDS cases were detected in the state, while it went upto 348 in 2002-03, 812 in 2003-04 and 824 in 2004-05, the report showed.

Though huge amount was spent every year since 2001-02 to check the disease, the situation went on “aggravating”, the report said, adding in addition to the aforesaid figures, 112 full-blown cases of AIDS have been reported from various parts of the state.


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