Dozens of Romanian women flew into a panic when they learned they were exposed to HIV by the same man they slept with- at his funeral.
Daniel Decu, of Segarcea, a small town in southeast Romania, was said to be a Cassanova-type who loved to party and slept with many women, News.com.au reported.
When the 25-year-old died his former lovers attended his funeral- only to learn that Decu had been suffering from HIV since he was 5 years old. So far 40 women have come forward to take the test, but officials say there could be more women who got tested in Italy and other countries where Decu traveled.
At least eight women have so far tested positive for HIV, Romanian prosecutors said according to the news site.
Investigators have now launched a probe into the deceased's family, who apparently threatened to sue Decu's doctor when he tried to let others know he was HIV positive.
"I started to warn them, but from the moment they told me to stay silent and not say anything, I didn't" Dr. Cornel Stanciu, the family's physician, said according to News.com.au. "I'm not surprised that we now are in the position that we are, because he had many female friends."
Under Romanian law, HIV positive people are not required to disclose their illness to a lover. But they are required to practice safe sex and violating the law carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison if the other person becomes infected.
Decu's 45-year-old mother, Elena Secu, defended her son, saying she told him about the importance of wearing a condom when he was 12.
Decu had been in good health until he came back from spending a year in Italy, she said.
"He died because of tuberculosis, not from any complications as a result of suffering from the HIV virus," the mother said according to the news site. However, about 25 percent of HIV-positive people who die were killed by tuberculosis, critics said.
It is not clear how Decu became infected with the virus, which is the precursor to AIDS. His aunt said he was one of several children who contracted HIV at the Segarcea Hospital when he was 5.
Elena Secu said she doesn't understand why the town, even the mayor of Segarcea, is causing a ruckus and blaming her for the health scare.
"They all knew, I don't know why they are saying these things now?" she said.
