Indiana's Governor Mike Pence has declared a public health emergency due to a rapidly spreading, intravenous drug use-linked HIV outbreak in a rural southern county.

According to health officials, since December around 72 people, all tied to Scott County, have got infected in southern Indiana, and another seven have preliminary positive HIV infections. In Scott County around five cases are seen every year.

On Wednesday, Pence has said that he is looking forward for a needle-exchange program as part of the public health emergency. He formally declared the program on Thursday.

Pence, a Republican, said that generally he is against exchanges as a means of drug control, but this time he has listened to the health experts, according to whom the program could be crucial in order to curb the current outbreak.

Under the needle-exchange programs, people turn in used hypodermic needles, to get clean ones in an effort to stop diseases including, HIV and hepatitis from spreading.

In mid-December, first HIV case was diagnosed, and 26 people got infected by February. At present, the number has got tripled to 72. The health officials said that the number will continue to rise.

They are trying to get in touch with around 100 people, tied to those with confirmed infections of the virus that causes AIDS.

Pam Pontones, state epidemiologist, said that in almost all the cases, IV drug use has been determined as the mode of infection.

In order to curb the menace, Indiana has launched an awareness campaign, including billboards and social media, and the state health officials have sent a unit to Scott County with resources to help combat the outbreak.

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials arrived in the county and agreed that the cases were nearly all drug-related.

Last year, a bill, that would allow needle-exchange programs, was considered by an Indiana House panel but at that time the legislation died because it didn't receive a hearing in the Senate.