Almost 400 people in a Victorian town have been asked to undergo precautionary HIV testing, after a local healthcare worker was found to have contracted the virus.

Victorian health minister David Davis said 399 townspeople had been sent letters asking them to submit for testing.

The minister would not say which town was involved, saying only it was in the state’s east.

“What I can say is a health professional was detected with HIV, they have ceased practising,” Mr Davis told reporters on Tuesday.

“I can indicate that in this town there are 399 people who are (involved) in a careful look-back process by the chief health officer.

“They have been sent individual letters, phone calls are following.

“As I understand it the latest numbers are, of the 399 contact has been made with 248, 88 have had tests and all of those tests have been negative.”