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Hennepin County is battling a new HIV outbreak - Minneapolis Star Tribune
May 10, 2021 1 min, 27 secs
Hennepin County is the midst of a new HIV outbreak fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing synthetic opioid crisis.

The population impacted most by the outbreak is homeless people living in encampments who inject opioids or spread HIV through sexual transmission, county officials say.

Hennepin County workers have been aggressively addressing the issue after the state Department of Health first discovered the outbreak and alerted officials in fall 2018.

"It's a complex population," said Stephanie Abel, manager for clinical services for Hennepin County's public health department.

Each positive test result must be reported to the state Department of Health, along with demographic information.

A disease intervention specialist from state or local public health will try to reach the diagnosed person for a full interview, asking about risk factors and contacts.

Louis County had an HIV outbreak declared in February, but the state had been working with local health providers for months before the notice.

"When we shared the HIV outbreak information with people who work in the field, they are surprised," said Christine Jones, manager for the state Health Department's HIV section.

"When the county bought hotels for the homeless who might be vulnerable to COVID-19, it allowed outreach workers to connect and test people who might also have HIV," said Jonathan Hanft, the manager of Hennepin County's Ryan White program.

"Building trust and relationships is key with outreach and getting people whatever services they may need," said Sarah Jane Keaveny, a registered nurse with Hennepin County's Health Care for the Homeless program.

With the record number of fentanyl overdoses and deaths in Minnesota last year, the HIV outbreak will remain a priority public health issue, she said.

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