Wisconsin recorded a 15 percent increase in new HIV infections in 2004 -- when the state had a cumulative 5,367 residents with HIV -- and a 35 percent increase in four years, the state Division of Public Health recently reported.

Central Wisconsin cases increased slightly between 2002 and 2004. Marathon County HIV cases increased by 10 to 82 and AIDS cases rose by two to 51. Marathon and neighboring counties have proportionally fewer cases than the Milwaukee and Madison areas, but that might be misleading.

"One of the things that's tough about tracking this disease and current infection patterns is knowing that test results don't show what the infection rate is," said Julie Willems Van Dijk, Marathon County's health officer. In the last seven years, county chlamydia rates have more than doubled and gonorrhea rates are five times higher, which indicate sexual risk-taking that can transmit HIV.

Educating rural and small-community residents about HIV risk is a challenge, said state experts. Another difficulty is making sure people infected can access health care and are not isolated.

AIDS mortality in Wisconsin is at a 10-year low. The state's low number of AIDS deaths and increasing number of HIV patients reflect the efficacy of medications that allow many HIV patients to live longer, local and state health officials said.

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