Sitamarhi HIV Outbreak: Over 7,000 Infected; How the Virus Spread and the Warning Signs You Must Know

Sitamarhi district in Bihar is witnessing a harrowing public health concern after official data revealed that more than 7,400 people have been registered as HIV positive, including hundreds of children

among those infected. According to the ART Centre at the district hospital, than 400 kids contracted the virus from their parents – putting a great amount of pressure on the local health system, which is already burdened. News reports quoted doctors from the government hospitals who say the cases mostly involve families where one or both parents are HIV-positive, resulting in transmission at birth. Doctors say awareness regarding this life-threatening infection is “severely low" despite repeated campaigns. “This is not a disease that spreads through coughing; it spreads through blood transfusion or being injected with the same needle. Today, schools are teaching about AIDS and HIV. Bettiah, Motihari, and Muzaffarpur are in a worse situation than we are... Around 250 to 300 patients come to us daily to get medicines; the total number of patients under treatment is 6,707. This data is from 2012 to the present,” Dr J Javed, assistant civil surgeon and HIV nodal officer, told ANI.

What is causing a surge in the number of HIV cases?

According to state health officials, there has been a huge rise in cases due to many social factors, which include marriages that are being conducted without prior health checks, large-scale migration for work, HIV transmission not being taken seriously, and widespread reluctance to get tested due to social stigma. The administration says it has now started awareness drives across the district to let people know about this infection, which can turn into full-blown AIDS.

What is HIV?

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, infects and destroys cells of your immune system, making it hard to fight off other diseases. Doctors say that when HIV has weakened your immune system, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) - the final and most serious stage. Those who have AIDS have very low counts of certain white blood cells and severely damaged immune systems. They may have additional illnesses that indicate that they have progressed to AIDS. Because HIV works backward to insert its instructions into your DNA, it is called a retrovirus.

How does HIV spread in the body?

According to experts, HIV infects white blood cells of your immune system known as CD4 cells, or helper T cells, destroying them and causing your white blood cell count to drop. This leaves you with an immune system that cannot fight off infections, even those that wouldn’t normally make you sick. HIV initially makes you feel sick with flu-like symptoms. Then it can hide in your body for a long time without causing noticeable symptoms. During that time, it slowly destroys your T-cells. When your T-cells get very low, or you begin to get certain illnesses that people with healthy immune systems don’t get, HIV has progressed to AIDS. Signs and symptoms of HIV include:

• Fever.
• Chills.
• Fatigue.
• Sore throat.
• Muscle aches.
• Night sweats.
• Rash.
• Swollen lymph nodes
• mouth sores

How does HIV spread?

According to doctors, you may contract HIV through the blood, semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk, and rectal fluids of an infected person. People of all sexes and sexual orientations can get infected with and spread HIV. The virus enters your body through your mouth, anus, penis, vagina, or broken skin, but it cannot get through your skin unless you have a cut or wound. If you are pregnant and have HIV, you can also pass the virus to the fetus. Having sex without a condom and sharing needles to take drugs are the most common ways that HIV spreads. Even if you feel fine, you can still give HIV to others.