INDIANAPOLIS (AP/WLFI) — A top state health official says an HIV outbreak that’s infected more than two dozen people in five southern Indiana counties is being largely driven by needle-sharing among drug users.

Deputy Health Commissioner Jennifer Walthall said Wednesday that 26 people have tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS since mid-December and another four have preliminary HIV-positive status.

Health Commissioner Jerome Adams says most of the cases are linked to people injecting the prescription painkiller Opana, while a small number are tied to sexual transmission of the HIV virus. Officials said Opana is a powerful opioid painkiller containing oxymorphone, which is more potent per milligram than Oxycontin.

Adams says disease specialists are interviewing those infected about their needle-sharing habits and sexual partners. Health officials also are working “to identify, contact and test individuals who may have been exposed.”

The State Health Department said avoid the following to help reduce the risk of HIV infection:

• Injection drug use
• sharing or re-using needles
• engaging in unprotected sex
• engaging in sex with commercial sex workers

Adams is urging southeastern Indiana residents who’ve engaged in needle-sharing and unprotected sex to get tested. For HIV testing locations or further information about HIV, please call the HIV Services Hotline at 866-588-4948.

Walthall says the HIV cases have been confirmed in Clark, Jackson, Perry, Scott and Washington counties. Five of those infected are prostitutes and 10 others are inmates in local jails or prisons.

All too many pharmacies refuse to sell syringe/needles to someone they “think” has no legit need for them.  It is as if they believe that denying them the ability to purchase clean needles that they will some how have an epiphany at the Rx dept cash register and change their ways.  I wonder how many of these people many not have become HIV + .. nothing mentioned of Hep-C.

Since 60% of this group are being “taken care of ” on the tax payers of Indiana “dime”..  I just wonder how many $$$ our society is having to pay out to treat all of these people who failed to have that epiphany at the Rx dept cash register and the “moral compass” of those in the Rx dept is continuing to add untold number of people to these groups?