Indiana officials hopeful HIV outbreak may be nearly over

A top Indiana health official says the dwindling number of new HIV cases in a rural southern county could mean the state's largest-ever HIV outbreak is ending.

Deputy State Health Commissioner Jennifer Walthall said Thursday there have been 149 confirmed HIV cases and one preliminary positive case in Scott County and adjacent areas since December, but only about 15 new cases over the past two weeks.

The county about 30 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky, normally sees only about five new HIV cases annually.

Walthall says officials are relieved by the recent trend and hope the outbreak could be "seeing its conclusion."

Nearly all of the outbreak's HIV cases have been traced to needle-sharing among intravenous drug users. A needle-exchange program is operating in Scott County to combat the outbreak.