190 people in this Indiana town are HIV-positive


A small town in Indiana is grappling with a problem it might have previously believed only happened in big cities.

Already known for its out-of-control opioid use, the city of Austin, Ind., now faces another crisis: Almost 200 people in this town of 4,000 were diagnosed as HIV positive.

>> Read more trending stories

Between February 2015 and February 2016, the city's rate of HIV ballooned from just 30 cases to 190, according to reporting by The Indianapolis Star.

As public health workers saw the number of cases of HIV beginning to rise in the city, the use of intravenous drugs was found to be the strongest link between cases.

The city is desperately poor. One in five people lives below the poverty line, and high school seniors were known to turn up at doctor's offices asking how they could collect disability after graduation. Between 2000 and 2010, most social service programs closed up - along with shops, grocery, stores and restaurants.

"It was a devastating time in this community," Carolyn King told The Indianapolis Star. King is a community consultant who has worked in social services in Scott County for several years.

In March 2015, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence declared a public health emergency for Scott County, which allowed for a needle exchange in the hopes of preventing more infections.

Eventually, the Centers for Disease Control sent health officials to help track contacts of those diagnosed. In May 2015, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation established a partnership to help Cooke care for people who were HIV-positive.

Over time, the number of new cases reported each week lessened dramatically. Last spring, nearly two dozen cases were being reported weekly. Since mid-July, only 14 new cases of HIV have been reported.

For more information on Austin, Indiana's HIV crisis, click here.