Cluster of HIV-infected adolescents and young adults--Mississippi, 1999.

From February through June 1999, seven human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected young persons were identified in a small town in rural Mississippi. Two persons were identified through routine voluntary HIV testing during sexually transmitted disease (STD) evaluations, and five were identified subsequently through contact investigation by the local health department. Contact investigation identified sex partners and social contacts (i.e., persons who shared social surroundings) and defined a social network of 122 sex and social contacts. Seven (9%) of 78 persons tested from the social network were HIV-infected. Within the social network, a sexual contact network of 44 persons (the seven HIV-infected persons and their sex partners) was identified. The Mississippi State Department of Health asked CDC to join the investigation to describe further the cluster and help direct prevention efforts. This report summarizes the investigation of this cluster and underscores the need for HIV prevention and treatment in rural areas.