Maine’s HIV Outbreak That Started in Bangor Has Officially Reached Portland

Health officials are raising concerns after five new HIV cases were recently identified among people who inject drugs, marking a sharp increase from the single case typically reported each year in the county.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a statewide health advisory Wednesday, noting that the cases were all detected this year. The alert comes as Penobscot County continues to battle its own outbreak, which reached 30 confirmed cases in October.

According to WGME 13, providers in the Portland area say they’ve been preparing for the possibility of the outbreak spreading south. Some told the Bangor Daily News last month that an increase in cases outside the Bangor region felt inevitable.

“It’s definitely not the news we want to hear, and it’s also something we’ve been bracing for for a while,” said Katie Rutherford, executive director of the Portland-based Frannie Peabody Center, a nonprofit focused on HIV/AIDS services.

In response, the Maine CDC says it is partnering with community groups and health care providers to expand access to HIV and hepatitis C testing in Cumberland County. The agency is also working to ensure people who test positive are quickly connected with treatment and prevention resources.

The advisory encourages health providers statewide to make testing readily available, especially for those at higher risk. It also recommends that people who inject drugs or otherwise face elevated risk get tested every three months.