Indiana has declared a state of emergency following an H.I.V. outbreak in one rural county.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said there are now 80 cases of H.I.V. in Scott County -- all were attributed to intravenous drug use.  There were only seven known H.I.V.-positive cases in late January.  Health officials said this had been the biggest statewide HIV outbreak so far. 

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The move to declare a public health emergency will allow the use of state resources to help control the spread of the virus, which causes AIDS.

"This is all hands on deck," Pence said, as he met with officials from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This is a very serious situation."

The epidemic had forced Pence to implement a policy, which he had opposed ever since. Under the emergency declaration, Pence authorizes a short-term needle exchange program for Scott county that can help contain the spread of HIV infections.  But Pence clarified, the program will only be good for 30 days, and that its implementation does not reverse his opposition to the program.

"I do not enter into this lightly," he said. "In response to a public health emergency, I'm prepared to make an exception to my long-standing opposition to needle exchange programs."

Needle exchange programs is a service that allows injecting drug users access to sterile needles.  It aims to reduce the risk of sharing infected needles,  that are known to help spread the diseas.  The program requires users to return used syringes in exchange of an equal amount of sterile syringes.

While the program remains illegal in Indiana, and the governor known to oppose the program, Pence said his move to provide clean needles to addicts is part of the emergency response to help abruptly stop the spread of the disease.

Most of the reported cases had injected a liquefied form of addictive pain killer called Opana while methamphetamine and heroine injections were traced from other cases positive for HIV.  

But Pence orders drew criticisms.  Opponents say, while this program may temporarily halt the spread of the disease, it may encourage the use of illegal drugs.

"I appreciate the governor's flexibility, but it's not even close to being an appropriate response,"  said Beth Meyerson, co-director of the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention at Indiana University.

Pence has also ordered the state health department to form a command center that will monitor and coordinate with people availing of HIV testing and treatment.

Aside from the treatment of the disease, the state has launched an awareness campaign that will provide information on how to prevent contracting HIV.  The information drive will focus on safe sex, proper needle disposal and infection prevention.

Scott County's 80 HIV cases constitute more than half of the whole state's 146 new cases of HIV since January this year.

TagsIndiana, HIV, addicts, State of Emergency