66 found HIV positive in Sylhet

At least 66 new patients have been tested HIV positive in the district till November this year, says a report released by a local voluntary organisation on Sunday, UNB reports.

Among the affected, a total of 902 people were detected as carrying the lethal virus while the number was 836 in last year, according to Ashar Alo Society, the voluntary organisation that works on AIDS-related issues.

Of the 536 affected patients who are still alive, 267 are male, 224 female and 46 children while two are transgender, says the report.

Abdur Rahman, district coordinator of the organization, said expatriates returning from abroad are carrying the virus in their bodies and spreading the fatal virus due to their unawareness and sometimes shyness of sharing it with others even with their wives.

There must be HIV testing centers at every airport and land ports across the country to properly detect AIDS affected expatriates coming back home, he suggested.

In 2003, only 28 people were tested to be carrying HIV, the number now stands 902 till November 2018 and 366 died of the disease so far, says the report.