HIV cases show sharp increase in Fredericton, Oromocto areas

Horizon Health Network is urging people to gettested for sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases in the wake of a175 per cent increase in reported HIV cases in the Fredericton andOromoctoareas.

Dr.Na-KoshieLamptey, theregional medical officer of health, says officials are still trying to determine what is driving the apparentincrease in reported cases.

"We do know that there's a number of things in the reported cases. Many of the cases are due to people who have chronic infections but there has also been newly acquired infections as well from local exposures."

Lampteysaid since January, public health has received 16 new reports of HIV in New Brunswick. This is double the number of cases the department expects to see reported in a year.

Average age is 33

Lampteysaid 11 of the new caseswere in the Fredericton and Oromocto areas.

She said the average age of the people affected was 33, ranging from20 to 58 years old.

"So there is quite a range there of young adults and older middle-aged adults."

Lampteysaid it's not clear why the number of cases is increasing in theFredericton andOromoctoareas, adding that health officials areencouraging people to get tested no matter where they live in New Brunswick.

"If we encourage that message we might find that there are other people with the infection who may not know it and we know that that's a big source of potential transmission of the infection to others."

Testing available

Residents can call Telecare811 to be directed to a clinic where they can be tested for sexually transmitted infections.

"And when people are concerned about simply having a high risk of acquiring HIV, we encourage them to get tested for other sexually transmitted infections and blood borne infections like gonorrhea,syphilis, hepatitis B and others."

Public health confirmed it was also seeing an increase in people withgonorrhea.

"For example, last year we had 56 cases in 2017 and this year already we've had 64 cases and remember, we're not fully through the year," said Lamptey, addingthat42 per cent of the cases were reported in the Fredericton area.

Increased risks

Lampteysaidthe behaviours and the exposures that can make people at increased riskfor one sexually transmitted infection can make them at risk for others.

She saidthat's why it'snot surprising to see an increase inreported HIV cases following increases in other infections, citing the last outbreak of syphilis.

Lampteysaid those numbers have never returned to where they were before the outbreak, which saw the number of cases of syphilis in New Brunswickrise tenfold from 2009 to 2012.

"We know if people are still acquiringsyphilis, which is acquired through unprotected sex, that it's possible that other sexually transmitted diseases can also be transmitted." said Lamptey.

Lampteysaid while there have been improvements in the types of treatments and medications for those with HIV, "it's still an infection for which people can take measures to reduce their risk of acquiring the infection."

Some of those precautions include wearing barrier protection during sex and not sharing needles if injecting drugs.

Lampteysaid anyone engaging in behaviours that put them at higher risk should be tested so they know their HIV status and can get treatment quickly.