Health alert in Ohio after a sex worker with HIV had sexual contact with more than 211 people

Ohio sex worker with HIV sparks health alert.

Police believe she had contact with 211 people.

Authorities are seeking to notify those who may have been exposed.

HEALTH ALERT! Authorities in Washington County, Ohio have launched an urgent campaign to contact 211 people who may have been exposed to HIV.

The Sheriff’s Office and the Marietta Police Department are making phone calls urging these individuals to get tested for HIV.

Authorities are seeking to contain the potential spread of the virus and ensure that all those affected receive necessary medical care.

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Ohio sex worker with HIV sparks health alert

Photo: Shutterstock

In an urgent effort to address a potential public health crisis, Washington County authorities have launched a communication campaign.

This is directed at individuals who may have been exposed to HIV, according to NBC4.

It follows the arrest of an alleged sex worker who tested positive for HIV in 2022.

Deputy Chief of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Mark Warden, reported that law enforcement recently arrested Linda Leccese.

Why was Linda Leccese arrested?

Photo: Shutterstock

Leccese is being accused of engaging in solicitation after a positive HIV test.

This situation triggered a series of actions by local authorities to contact all individuals who might have been at risk of exposure.

Authorities have identified a list of 211 individuals who had contact with Leccese since she was diagnosed with HIV.

Starting Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office will begin contacting each of these people to urge them to get tested.

Residents of Ohio should take note!

HIV is not a crime, but in the majority of the United States, people are being imprisoned due to their HIV status. That’s why we’re working in Maryland, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi to raise awareness about outdated HIV criminalization laws. pic.twitter.com/qBRsPnesme

—The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (@ETAForg) February 2, 2024

Residents of Washington County who receive these calls can go to the Marietta-Belpre Health Department to get tested confidentially and free of charge.

Deputy Chief Mark Warden emphasized that they will soon be communicating with the individuals involved.

«We want the citizens out there to understand that there will be a deputy sheriff reaching out to these individuals that we have numbers for,» he said.

«They’re not in trouble. This is a public health awareness. This is not a scam,» he said, according to WTAP.

Could this lead to an outbreak?

Police in Ohio have issued a public health notice after a female was charged with engaging in solicitation after a positive HIV test, a 3rd-degree felony. https://t.co/xGComyWTnf pic.twitter.com/HBIKXz4epD

— CRUNCH REAPER (@ASK2547) May 19, 2024

The main concern lies in that the extent of possible HIV exposure has not yet been fully determined.

According to authorities, there is a possibility that Leccese had been carrying the virus for a considerable time before she tested positive in 2022.

This could mean that more people than initially identified could be at risk.

Leccese faces a formal charge of solicitation after a positive HIV test, according to a grand jury indictment.