GULBARGA: HIV/AIDS is spreading at an alarming rate in almost all the north Karnataka districts and Bangalore and its surrounding areas.

This has been revealed in the latest report of the HIV sentinel surveillance conducted in the State among various high-risk and low-risk groups. The surveillance was conducted during 2003 jointly by the India Canada Collaborative HIV/AIDS Project (ICHAP), Karnataka AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in all the 27 districts.

The surveillance points included two antenatal sites in each district, district hospitals and first referral units and seven STD clinics. For the first time male homosexuals were also surveyed.

Official sources said the surveillance revealed that tests at antenatal clinics showed that the disease was spreading fast. Of the 10,800 patients tested in 27 district hospitals, 1.33 per cent was infected with HIV. Of the 10,790 patients tested at the first referral units, 1.58 per cent was identified as HIV positive. In the antenatal clinic at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli, where women in the age group of 15-24 were subjected to random HIV tests, out of 400 tests, 2.50 per cent were HIV positive.

In the seven STD clinics, out of the total 1,725 tests conducted, an alarming 13.39 per cent turned out to be HIV positive. Among female sex workers tested at one site, 14.40 per cent of the 250 women tested turned out to be HIV positive.

Among male homosexuals tested at one site, 10.80 per cent of the 250 tests were HIV positive. Of the 250 intravenous drug users tested at NIMHANS, 2.80 per cent were HIV positive. The prevalence of HIV among those attending STD clinics and gynaecology units was 13.4 per cent.

Four districts in north Karnataka had an HIV prevalence rate of 3 per cent or more among those tested at antenatal clinics. Belgaum topped the list with 4.50 per cent, followed by Koppal (4.13 per cent) Bagalkot (3.15 per cent) and Dharwad (3 per cent).

The sources said Belgaum topped the list again for HIV positive case among those attending STD clinics with 27.2 per cent, followed by Gulbarga (17.2 per cent), Dharwad (16 per cent), Bangalore (10.4 per cent), Bellary (10 per cent) and Mysore (9.3 per cent).

Among homosexual males, the HIV prevalence was relatively high among those in the age group of 20 to 29 (13.4 per cent), among the non-literate (11.3 per cent) and among those working in the transport sector (12 per cent).

Steady rise

Of the 48,593 persons tested in 34 voluntary counselling and testing centres, 10,233 were HIV positive (21.01 per cent). Over the past decade those testing HIV positive at these centres has been steadily increasing from 0.2 per cent in 1992 to 21.1 per cent in 2003.

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