'Much work needs to be done': Atlanta ranks third in new HIV infections nationwide

The skyline is seen Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Metro Atlanta is one of the largest HIV hotspots in the nation.

The metro area had the third-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses among U.S. metro areas in 2021, accounting for over 1,500 new cases. Memphis and Miami were the only cities that ranked higher, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Metro Atlanta accounted for more than half of all new HIV diagnoses in Georgia that year. Also Fulton and DeKalb counties had the first- and second-highest rate of new infections of any county in the nation, at about 50 cases per 100,000 people.