The Cuban government has announced that AIDS is spreading in its capital of Havana, where the number of cases grew by 3.4 percent in 2008, reports the Spanish news agency EFE.

The highest HIV at-risk group in Havana appears to be gay or bi men (men who have sex with men) between the ages of 20 and 44, said the head of the Provincial Program for Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Barbara Venegas, as quoted by the Havana weekly Tribuna.

Havana appears to be the epicenter of the pandemic on the island nation, with the city's 15 municipalities on the list of the 29 hardest hit areas, she said.

Infection among women in the capital city is also on the rise: There was a 6.7% uptick in AIDS cases in 2008 over the previous year. Studies show housewives are being infected at a higher rate. Officials said there were “multifaceted” causes for the increase but singled out “bisexuality” as a primary concern.

There have been 10,454 Cubans infected with the virus that causes AIDS over the past 12 years.