HIV Prevalence in a Gold Mining Camp in the Amazon Region, Guyana

Abstract

The prevalence of HIV infection among men in a gold mining camp in the Amazon region of Guyana was 6.5%. This high percentage of HIV infection provides a reservoir for the virus in this region, warranting immediate public health intervention to curb its spread. As malaria is endemic in the Amazon Basin (>30,000 cases/year), the impact of coinfection may be substantial.

Keywords

• Amazon
• coinfection
• gold mining
• Guyana
• HIV
• indigenous peoples