Lucknow: In an alarming and worrying development, 36 prisoners at Lucknow District Jail have tested positive for HIV following health tests conducted last month.
The total number of HIV-infected inmates in the prison has gone up to 63, the jail administration said.
Concerns have been raised about overall health and safety conditions in the jail.
However, prison authorities claimed that none of the prisoners contracted the viral disease after entering the jail premises.
They said majority of infected inmates have a history of drug addiction, who were exposed to the virus through use of contaminated syringes outside the prison.
The jail administration is monitoring the health of infected prisoners closely.
All HIV-positive prisoners are receiving regular treatment at a hospital.
The high number of HIV-infected inmates notwithstanding, there has been no fatality due to the potentially dangerous viral infection in the last five years.
Authorities will be conducting a thorough investigation into the source of the virus and review existing health protocols to prevent further spread within the prison population.
