Four HIV-positive people detected

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: Health authorities have found four people infected with HIV, the first locals to contract the virus that causes the deadly AIDS.

Asri Amin, chief of the local office of communicable diseases, said here Saturday that the four were confirmed to have the virus after undergoing three stages of testing.

Asri, who refused to identify the four, predicted that by the end of next year South Sulawesi will have about 40 people with HIV/AIDS.

"We believe that the actual number of people contracting HIV is much higher," he was quoted as saying by Antara.

The local government conducts AIDS tests on people vulnerable to the disease, such as prostitutes. (pan)