The Florida Department of Health says its dramatic drop in the number of new cases of HIV can be attributed to duplicate cases and changes to the way they are counted, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The state revised its 2014 count of new cases from 6,147 to 4,613, but failed to respond to criticisms on the change. Last week, the Times reports, the department posted an explanation on its website, saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had broadened how it identified possible duplicate cases, such as those counted in more than one state.
Officials also say electronic reporting is increasing the number of cases to review, the Times reports