B.C. experts to help control Indiana HIV epidemic

VANCOUVER – World-renowned HIV experts from British Columbia are stepping up to help control a massive outbreak of the disease in rural Indiana.

The B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS is partnering with the Indiana University School of Medicine in an effort to stymie an epidemic in Scott County, Ind., where 184 people have tested positive for HIV since December 2014.

Nearly 10 per cent of the county’s 4,200 residents are believed to be injection drug users, with many crushing and injecting the opioid painkiller Opana.

The B.C. Centre for Excellence is known for its innovative approach to HIV, with patients immediately receiving free treatment to stop the disease from progressing and to reduce the chance of others getting infected.

Dr. Julio Montaner is the director of the centre and says he’s convinced the epidemic in Indiana can be halted if the same strategy is implemented.

It has been adopted by the United Nations and has been used in several other countries, including China, France and Panama.

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During the Canada Post strike announced September 25, 2025, the following measures will be undertaken to minimize service disruption to BC-CfE clients and providers.

  • The BC-CfE Laboratory has transitioned to private courier for delivery of outgoing reports and documents. Results required urgently can be faxed upon request. (Lab Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8775; FAX 604-806-9463)
  • The BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program (DTP) will fax outgoing forms and documents to the provider’s office. (DTP Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8515; FAX 604-806-9044)
  • St. Paul’s Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy has transitioned to private courier for delivery of medications. We recommend requesting medication at least 2 weeks in advance in case of delivery delays, particularly to rural/remote parts of BC. (Contact Information: Phone 1-800-547-3622; FAX 604-806-8675)

During the Canada Post strike, we recommend that documents be faxed or couriered to our sites, versus utilization of regular mail service

The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below