Update: HIV Outbreak in Kanawha County Associated With Injection Drug Use

Update: HIV Outbreak
in Kanawha County
Associated with
Injection Drug Use
Shannon McBee, MPH, CHES

State Epidemiologist
Kanawha County HIV Task Force Meeting
June 8, 2021
New HIV Diagnoses in Kanawha County
2018 2019 2020 2021 YTD

Total IDU Total IDU Total IDU Total IDU
17 <5 29 15 44 39 16 12
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Epidemiology of HIV in Kanawha County
• Since January 1, 2019, 66 newly diagnosed cases of HIV
associated with injection drug use have been reported in
Kanawha County.
• 53% male
• 85% of cases are between 20 and 40 years of age
• 62% of cases are between 30-39 years old
• 23% of cases are between 20-29 years old
• 59% of cases were diagnosed in a hospital setting
• 46% linked to care within 30 days of diagnosis
• 22% received care within the last 90 days
• 23% have no evidence of care
• 35% were virally suppressed at last test
• 85% are co-infected with hepatitis C
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*Data are provisional as of 6/3/21 and subject to change based on subsequent information.
Strategies to End the HIV Epidemic
https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/ending-the-hiv-epidemic/key-strategies
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Response Activities
• DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health (BPH) coordinated formation
of the Kanawha Valley HIV Testing Outreach Group (KVHTOG).
• Developed monthly testing calendar.
• Hosting mobile testing events weekly rotating between 10
locations in Charleston and Kanawha County.
• BPH provided virtual HIV counseling and testing training to
non-traditional partners.
• Trained Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority
Quick Response Team members to be able to offer HIV
testing during visits.
• BPH is working with behavioral health providers and state
opioid response grantees to integrate HIV testing and
prevention into provided services.
5
Response Activities
• BPH provided funding to Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC)
Ryan White Clinic for additional staff and activities:
• Two Early Intervention Specialists to provide additional linkage to
care support.
• Staff stationed in CAMC General Emergency Department to
provide rapid HIV testing and counseling to patients.
• Van procured to provide on-demand transportation for clients to
clinic.
• CAMC Ryan White Clinic providing same day and walk-in
appointments for clients.
• CAMC Ryan White Clinic working to streamline appointments to
shorten time clients required to be at the clinic.
• BPH funded an emergency fund application for Kanawha-Charleston
Health Department.
• BPH provided funding to WV Health Right to open a clinic on
Charleston’s West Side.
6
Response Activities
• CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention has been providing
virtual technical support to state staff since beginning of
response.
• Long-standing relationships in HIV surveillance and
prevention programs.
• Support with outbreak data analysis.
• Technical assistance with planning outbreak response
activities.
• Requested federal Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) team
to supplement state staff.
• Team arrived onsite 5/3/21.
• Requested Epi-Aid.
• Team arrived onsite 6/1/21.
7
Progress Made
• Between 4/6/21 and 5/31/21, 153 people tested during 9
KVHTOG events.
• 8 individuals who previously tested positive were found
during testing outreach and re-linked to care.
• 1 new positive was found during testing outreach and
linked to care.
• 23 of 41 individuals who were not previously found for
interviews have been located and interviewed.
• From those 23 interviews, 52 partners/contacts of cases
have been identified.
• 2 new cases have been found through partner services.
• WV Health Right West Side Clinic opened on June 1, 2021.
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What is Epi-Aid?
• An investigation of an urgent public health problem.
• Rapid, short-term (1–4 weeks), onsite, technical assistance by
Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers and other CDC
subject matter experts.
• The focus is to assist partners in making rapid, practical
decisions for actions to prevent and control the public health
problem.
• The requesting public health authority provides leadership of
the investigation.
• All data collected during the investigation is retained and
controlled by the requesting public health authority.
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Epi-Aid Objectives
1. Conduct a rapid assessment with persons who inject drugs
(PWID) and key stakeholders to identify factors facilitating HIV
transmission and barriers to accessing essential care and
prevention services for PWID.
2. Review, abstract, and analyze data from medical records and
other relevant sources (e.g., community service providers,
first responders, substance use disorder treatment) to
understand engagement with various services.
3. Review and analyze partner services procedures and data
from partner services interviews and HIV testing activities to
better understand behaviors, networks, and geography of
PWID.
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Update: HIV Outbreak

Shannon McBee, MPH, CHES

2018 2019 2020 2021 YTD

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