21 Infected With HIV in UP's Unnao After Using Common Syringe

Unnao: At least 21 people became infected with HIV here allegedly after a quack used a common syringe to administer an injection.

A case has been registered against the quack, an official said.

Chief medical officer Dr SP Chaudhary said the matter came to light after the health department launched a probe following reports of "high number of HIV cases" in the area.

"Seeing the high number cases, the health department constituted a two-member committee which visited various hamlets of Bangarmau to investigate the reasons behind the spike," he said.

Chaudhary said the team visited Premganj and Chakmirpur areas of Bangarmau and filed a report, based on which screening camps were held at three places (in Bangarmau) on January 24, January 25 and January 27.

"In the camps, 566 people were examined of whom 21 were found to be infected with HIV," the CMO said.

He said the probe also found that quack Rajendra Kumar, living in a neighbouring village, had used a single syringe for injection in the name of cheaper treatment. "This was the reason behind the significant rise in the number HIV cases."

A case against the quack has been registered in Bangarmau police station, the CMO said.

He said the patients have been referred to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centre in Kanpur.

ART consists of a combination of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to maximally suppress the HIV and stop its progression.

ART also prevents onward transmission of HIV, he said.