Hepatitis C Outbreak in Las Vegas linked to local clinic

from the LV Review-Journal:



PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS: More infections surface

Officials say cases might be linked to clinic

By ANNETTE WELLS and PAUL HARASIM
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Hepatitis C Investigation


Health authorities said Thursday that 77 more patients might have contracted hepatitis C at a local medical clinic where unsafe injection practices have been identified.

The 77 patients of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, who recently tested positive for the liver disease, did not report any other risk factors for the disease other than having undergone a procedure at the clinic, said Brian Labus, senior epidemiologist for the Southern Nevada Health District.

"We can't say for certain that they got it at the clinic; however, the clinic is the obvious source of infection considering they had no other risk factors," Labus said.

The new cases are not acute, and patients would not have apparent symptoms.

The 77 are among 400 former patients of the facility on Shadow Lane who recently tested positive and have been interviewed by health district staff in an investigation to determine the source of infection.

With the remaining 300-plus cases, investigators identified one or more risk factors, such as a history of illicit intravenous drug use, an organ transplant or blood transfusion before 1992, hemodialysis for kidney failure, and sexual contact with a known carrier of hepatitis C.

The patients were asked about the risk factors during follow-up interviews. Because many infections might have been acquired years earlier, health officials cannot say with certainty what the source of infection is, Labus said.

"We can't make a leap that they all came from there," said Dr. Scott Holmberg of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about linking hepatitis C cases to the Shadow Lane center. "Some people may not tell the truth about drug use, for instance." .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.lvrj.com/news/18796269.html