Most new HIV cases are transmitted by the undiagnosed or untreated patient | WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio

In the United States, the majority of new HIV infections – 80% – are transmitted by people who do not know that they are infected with the virus or by people diagnosed who do not receive care, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control. and prevention.

Every year, approximately 39,000 new cases of HIV infection are identified, 50% of which are in the southern states where access to prevention and treatment may be limited.

It is estimated that more than one million people are living with HIV in the United States and that 165,000 do not know that they have the virus.

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The CDC recommends that all residents of the country be tested for HIV at least once and that people at increased risk be tested more often, said Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV / AIDS. Viral hepatitis, STDs and tuberculosis.

"If you take HIV treatment and you remove the level of virus in your blood, undetectable, you are at no risk of sexual transmission of HIV," Mermin told CBS News.

A new federal initiative to end the HIV epidemic in the United States aims to reduce the number of new infections by at least 90% over 10 years. But the CDC said that progress on HIV prevention has stagnated in recent years as the rate of new infections stabilizes.

"This is partly due to the fact that some people do not know that they have HIV, that there are HIV-positive people who do not have access to the necessary treatment and some people who are eligible for prophylaxis. -Exposure (PrEP), this pill that prevents you from getting HIV, do not get it, "said Mermin.

Government health officials said it was possible to end the epidemic, but this will only happen if all of these services are available to people who need them.

"Diagnose, treat, protect and respond: these are the key strategies of our historic initiative to end the HIV epidemic in America by engaging all people at risk in comprehensive prevention strategies," said Monday. in a new publication, CDC Director Robert Redfield.