The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected people in Slovenia is standing at less than one infectee per 1,000 people, according to a latest survey conducted by the Ljubljana University Medical Centre.

About 40 to 50 new HIV cases are detected in the country annually. However, in comparison with 18 HIV-positive people being detected 10 years ago, 55 new cases were diagnosed in 2011.

A total of 450 cases of HIV infection were detected in Slovenia since 2004, said the survey released on World AIDS Day which falls on Dec. 1 every year.

The survey found that the HIV-positive people are mainly homosexual partners practising unprotected sex. Besides, HIV infection among intravenous drug users in Slovenia are few and far between.

No HIV infections were detected among the 9,574 pregnant women who underwent anonymous HIV testing last year, the survey said.

HIV is a lentivirus that causes the deadly acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Some 35 million HIV infected people were detected in the world in 2013. About 1.5 million AIDS-related deaths are registered every year, according to the World Health Organization.