HIV specialists in Stamford, Connecticut, are noticing an increase in new HIV infections among Latino people compared with the city’s general population, The Stamford Advocate reports. While Latino people make up 22.3 percent of Stamford’s HIV/AIDS cases, they represent only 19.7 percent of its population.

“The fires are spreading faster,” said Dennis Torres of Stamford Cares, a city agency that provides assistance for people living with the virus. “I think nationally the message hasn’t reached this community.”

According to the article, statistics regarding annual HIV infection rates in Stamford are not available, but city officials told the newspaper that significantly more Latinos have been testing positive in recent years. To address this trend, the city is filling open positions in its HIV prevention program with bilingual staff and extending outreach to churches and day laborers. Stamford Cares provides housing and financial and medical assistance for those who test positive.

“We help people if they have no food, if their lights are going to be shut off, all of the things that would keep people from getting medication,” Torres said. “We remove all those barriers, because treatment is prevention.”