The Mumbai District Aids Control Society, in its report, said during 2016-17, 18 people received the infection through transfusion of contaminated blood/blood products.
During the same period, the maximum case was reported due to unprotected sex with infected persons. The number of such patients stood at 6,254, lower than 6,596 reported in the previous year, the report said.
Seventeen patients received the infection through infected syringe and needles in 2016-17 as against 35 in 2015- 16, it said.
The report also stated that 250 children received the infection from their mothers, while reasons in 184 cases remained unidentified.
Vidya Mane, deputy director, MDACS, said, "At the time of blood testing, we ask the patients reasons behind the infection. Some patients admit they had received blood. If there is no other reasons given by the patient, then we assume he/she had received the infection through blood or blood products."
It is to be noted that the government recommended tests can't identify the HIV infection if the donor is having it in 'window period'.
If a person receives infection of HIV, for the first three months, the blood reports appear normal and it is called as 'window period.' The existing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test could not identify the infection during the window period, which is generally three-month long.
Such tests are not available with the government agencies, said an official from the state health department.
There are various ways of getting HIV infection. These include unprotected sex with an infected person, blood and blood products, infected syringes and needles, parents to child.
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