hepatitis C transmission

Home Methods Statements The Liver

HEPATITIS C 
TRANSMISSION METHODS

Veterans from the Vietnam era were more at risk for contracting hepatitis C than any other war. Vietnam-era veterans made up 62.7% percent of those veterans who tested positive for hepatitis C. The next largest group is post-Vietnam at 18 %. World War II at 4%, Korean 5.3% and Persian Gulf veterans make up 3%. Hundreds of Vietnam veterans are being diagnosed daily across America and are almost 4 out of 5 times more likely to have hepatitis C than the average America. 

 HOW?  
Click on the links to read the studies and research articles.
 Vaccine Contamination  Dental Procedures
 Jet Gun Injections  Medical Procedures
 Needles, Syringes, Vials & Connectors  Reused Medical Devices
 Finger Stick Lancets

 Surgery Transmission
 Blood Transfusions  Tissue Transplantation
       
 Sporadic Transmission    Razors & Hair Cuts  More  
 Sterilants and Disinfectants  Barbers & Beauty Shops     More
 Health Care Worker Risks  Tattoos & Piercings
 How infectious are dead bodies?  Sexual Transmission
       
 Tear & Body Fluids  Mosquito Bites   More
 Sharing Rags  HCV Transmission
 HCV in Pregnancy & Breast milk  Toothbrushes
http://www.hcvets.com/copy.htm  The HCV Liver  Research & Support

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 Non-Illegal Drug Related
Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus
2006-2008

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Hepatitis C by Small Pox Vaccinations


Hepatitis C Epidemiology in Military and Veteran Populations: Proceedings of the Second Biennial Conference, March 7, 1990 (1991) Institute of Medicine
Yellow Fever Vaccine-Associated Hepatitis Epidemic During World War II: Follow-up More Than 40 Years Later

In the Spotlight   November 29, 2007
COTT / NHF / HFA Open Letter on Safety

An Open Letter to the Manufacturers of Clotting Factor Products and the Government Agencies who Regulate Them:

Individuals affected by bleeding disorders depend on the availability of safe and efficacious clotting factor concentrates for their very lives. In the 1980s, the community was ravaged by the proliferation of HIV/AIDS and HCV tainted plasma derivatives. Many lessons were learned during that period about the importance of vigilance, and today we are fortunate to have an adequate supply of safe products, both recombinant and plasma-derived. However, recent events have created the perception that vigilance has started to wane.
Committee of Ten Thousand

Table Highlights:
 August 2006
 Hepatitis C infection from Contaminated Heart Stress Test
“…..Sixteen cases were identified; all underwent myocardial perfusion studies on October 15. Cases had perfusion studies performed at 3 unaffiliated clinics. The median age of cases was 63 years and 14 (88%) were male. Fifteen cases were symptomatic, including 11 who had jaundice….The findings from this and other recent investigations demonstrate that bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted in any setting where blood exposures occur and aseptic technique is compromised.


October 2006
75% of College Students Report Risk Factors for Hepatitis C
College undergraduates in the United States do not recognize the magnitude of their risk behaviors for contracting Hepatitis C, according to a survey conducted at a large midwestern university. Researchers found that 75 percent of undergraduates in this study had a potential Hepatitis C risk factor, from tattoos to sharing body jewelry. Results of this study were presented at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Las Vegas.

October 1999 Safety and availability of immunoglobulin replacement therapy in relation to potentially transmissable agents  Clinical & Experimental Immunology Volume 118 Issue s1 Page 29 - ... However, the role of partitioning of viruses ...amount of recoverable HCV-RNA in the various Cohn fractions changed dramatically  28 ...As Cohn–Oncley fractionation is not sufficient to remove lipid-coated viruses, additional antiviral inactivation steps are required. More info

September 1999, Sterilants and Disinfectants Applied and Environmental Microbiology,  p. 4255-4260, Vol. 65, No. 90099-2240/99/$04.00+0 Bacterial Spores Survive Treatment with Commercial Sterilants and Disinfectants Hepatitis C Survives Treatment with Commercial Sterilants and Disinfectants
Book Mark This page- it will be continually updated as developments occur. (Last update 05/09/2008

Non-Drug Related
Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus
2006-2008
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February 7, 2007 Prostate biopsy between 1989 and 2003 FDA News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE P07-14  Media Inquiries: FDA Press Office, 301-827-6242 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA- Custom Ultrasonics Signs Consent Decree- Company agrees to stop manufacturing devices that wash and disinfect endoscopes until it corrects problems...

June 19, 2006 Prostate biopsy between 1989 and 2003 FDA Public Health Notification: Reprocessing of Reusable Ultrasound Transducer Assemblies Used for Biopsy Procedures
June 2, 2006 MILWAUKEE - More than 22,000 veterans who underwent prostate biopsies at veterans' hospitals across the country are being warned that improperly sterilized equipment may have exposed them to deadly viruses...inadequacies with the biopsy cleaning procedure at 21 medical centers in 18 states, plus Puerto Rico.
November 2006 Journal of Viral Hepatitis 13(11): 775-782. 15 independent risk factors for HCV By Liz Highleyman a significant proportion of hepatitis C patients (20%-40%) have no identified route of transmission. In conclusion, the authors wrote, ... our data incriminate previously unidentified risk factors (abortions, some dermatological procedures, outpatient injections, contact sports, beauty treatments, professional pedicure/manicure) and confirm those already recognized hospitalization, digestive endoscopy, acupuncture...
 
2008
May 8, 2008 77 WorldNow and KLAS More Hepatitis C Cases Identified Melissa Duran, Reporter...Since the unsafe practices were discovered, the health district has confirmed 8 cases ... looks into whether 77 more cases are linked ...Since the scare began, about 200 people every day have tested positive for hepatitis C. Each of those people are interviewed and surveyed by the health district to determine... contracted hepatitis from the Endoscopy Center.
Possible reuse of insulin pen prompts medical scare BY RIDGELY OCHS | ridgely.ochs@newsday.com Nassau University Medical Center, concerned about possible reuse of insulin pens in more than one patient, said Wednesday it will be sending letters to up to 185 diabetes patients, urging them to be tested for hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV. The East Meadow hospital...
May. 02, 2008 Las Vegas Review-Journal- Quality consultants, clinic, drugmaker sued in outbreak "They gave them the Good Housekeeping seal of approval, and off they went," said lawyer Will Kemp, who represents Brunson... filed lawsuits Thursday against the.. company that inspected the clinic and the makers of the anesthesia used during medical procedures. Nevada Health District has connected to unsafe injection practices at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada,

 		 April 29, 2008 Doctor tied to hepatitis cases settles lawsuit BY MICHAEL AMON  Michael.amon@newsday.com  ...Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, the Dix Hills physician ...put thousands of patients at risk by reusing syringes... infected in Finkelstein's office. ...used a syringe multiple times...contaminating multidose medicine vials... the source of injections...More
Apr 24, 2008 Officials say 10,000 more at risk in hepatitis outbreak
The Associated Press ...another 10,000 people...exposed to hepatitis C at an outpatient medical clinic in Las Vegas... brings to 50,000 ..might have been infected .. through the Endoscopy Center of Nevada.

4-23-08 Contaminated blood inquiry launched
An independent public inquiry is to be carried out to discover why people were infected ... through contaminated blood... were given contaminated blood in the 1970s and 1980s...calling for an inquiry into how this happened for more than 15 years.
Apr 23, 2008 High Hep C infection among immigrants in New York... Intramuscular injections, and blood transfusions were the only variables that were significantly associated with Hepatitis C virus infection..."These infections resulted from inadequately sterilized medical equipment and blood transfusions."

 		 Apr 8, 2008 Sun editorial: Local action not enough Congress should find out why clinics have ignored warnings about syringe reuse... transmission of the disease through unsafe injection practices was well-known..“It is entirely unacceptable and extremely dangerous to reuse ... syringes on multiple patients,” a medical doctor wrote in the newsletter.
Apr 4 2008 Source: Tallahassee.com [edited] The Florida Department of Health is waiting on the results of lab tests to determine what caused an outbreak ...could be the use of a single dose medication vial for multiple patients. Apr-2-2008 Vegas Health Agency Reports Big Rise in Positive Hepatitis Tests (AP) - Health officials are reporting a threefold increase in positive tests ...typically fields 20 to 40 positive hepatitis C reports a day, but has been getting up to 150, officials said
 April 07, 2008 Medical News: ESRD NKF: HCV Outbreaks at Dialysis Units Linked to Outmoded Infection Control By Charles Bankhead, MedPage Today Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

 "we're finding that outbreaks continue to occur despite the recommendations for enhanced infection control." 		March 28, 2008 lansing.injuryboard.com  Dr. Robert Stokes Used Unsanitary Procedures And Exposed Patients To Infection...a Grand Rapids dermatologist... also reused medical equipment, such as scalpels, syringes, and sutures, among others, without properly sanitizing the equipment... used a sanitizing solution to try and clean the medical equipment, this only decreased, but did not eliminate, the chance of disease transmission. Initially, nearly 5,000...were notified...increased to over 13,000. Of those 13,000, at least 12 have been diagnosed with Hepatitis C.
March 26, 2008- Blood tests suggested in hepatitis scare NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A Virginia hospital has asked more than 300 former patients to come in for blood tests because a nurse suspected of infecting patients with hepatitis in Texas worked there last year.   

Mar 25 2008 Dramatic Rise In Hepatitis C-Related Deaths In The United States With Greatest Risk To Middle-Aged Patients: - Hepatitis C-related deaths in the United States increased by 123 percent from 1995 through 2004, the most recent year for which data are available. Mortality rates peaked in 2002, then declined slightly overall, while continuing to rise among people 55 to 64 years old. These findings appear in the April issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

 March 25, 2008 Emotions erupt at public hearing
Reno Gazette Journal - By ANJEANETTE DAMON...Evelyn McKnight..."Sadly, today, we hold our restaurants to higher standards than our doctors offices," she said. "People ask me what they should do to protect themselves..."I tell them to demand...one needle, one syringe ...one vial... It's that simple. 
Mar 22, 2008 Indian clinics uncover high rate of hepatitis C By DIANE COCHRAN Of The Gazette Staff- An epidemiological study conducted at two Indian Health Service clinics in Montana uncovered a hepatitis C infection rate that is six times higher than is found in the general population...6 percent hepatitis C infection rate among women who went to the clinics for prenatal care.
 		 April 2008; "Changing Trends in Hepatitis C-Related Mortality in the United States, 1995-2004. "Hepatology; 10. 1002/hep. 22165 ; Dramatic Rise In Hepatitis C-Related Deaths In The United States With Greatest Risk To Middle-Aged Patients- Hepatitis C-related deaths in the United States increased by 123 percent from 1995 through 2004...The most dramatic age-specific increases were observed among 45 to 54 year olds ... 376 percent, and 55 to 64 year olds ... 188 percent.
March 26, 2008 BY DELTHIA RICKS | delthia.ricks@newsday.com Hepatitis C cases expected to soar in a decade ... New York is in the vanguard of a rising epidemic expected to peak in 2015 when cases of the infection will increase fourfold nationwide, driving a 528 percent jump in the need for liver transplants and a 223 percent leap in the liver-related death rate, experts underscored yesterday.
 

 		  

Mar 20, 2008 Digestion- Medical Author- Q&A by Dr. Marks-  Is it correct that the hepatitis C virus cannot survive for more than two hours outside the human body? In blood--inside or out of the body--the virus can live for weeks, months, and even years

 
 Mar 18, 2008 Hepatitis likely did not stay in Vegas By Helen Altonn haltonn@starbulletin.com Anyone who was treated at the Endoscopy Center  between March 2004 and January should be tested .. says a Hawaii infectious disease specialist... Dr. Alan Tice, expressing concern... investigation ... hepatitis C cases were traced to the clinic, which had been reusing syringes and vials of medicine for about four years.
Mar 16, 2008- By Ashley Powers, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 2008 Governor Gibbons Fires Head Of The State Licensing Bureau This came after investigators found staff at the Shadow Lane office reused syringes on patients, putting thousands at risk for viruses.
 
 Mar 2008 Am J Infect Control.;36(2):123-8.
Variation in interpretation and counselling of blood exposure incidents  by different medical practitioners. "The assessment of blood exposures significantly differs depending on the medical background of the counsellor handling the incident, leading to remarkable inconsistencies in the response to prevent the transmission of bloodborne pathogens "
3/15/2008  RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL ANJEANETTE DAMON Gov. Gibbons lashes out at news media...Reacts to health clinic scare  ... blamed the media for hysteria surrounding the recent health clinic scare and defended the endoscopy center responsible for... hepatitis C through unsafe syringe use...State health inspectors conducting a statewide inspection blitz of Nevada’s 50 surgical centers in the wake of the Las Vegas case have found similar unsafe procedures at half a dozen other clinics. March 9, 2008 Nurse accused of infecting Army patients with Hepatitis C- EL PASO (AP) - Federal officials said today that a former Army hospital employee is accused of infecting at least three patients with Hepatitis C.
nMarch 08, 2007 Can Saliva Transmit Hepatitis C? Measuring only about 50 nanometers in diameter, Hepatitis C is an extremely small virus. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; 200,000 Hepatitis C viruses placed end to end would only measure a single centimeter. Smaller than the wavelength of visible light, viral particles have no color. In those who are infected, Hepatitis C may produce approximately one trillion new viral particles every day. Mar 6, 2008 MILWAUKEE New owners take Barbicide out of the barbershop- 'Are you blue?' is a fair question that anybody should ask when they go into those facilities," Murphy said.....What is your disinfection in your salon?
March 5 2008 Govt to probe fibrin-linked infections The Yomiuri Shimbun- A private hospital... found that 64 of 628 patients it treated with fibrin glue, a surgical adhesive linked to the transmission of the hepatitis C virus, became infected with the disease...  March. 3, 2008 Hepatitis scare in Vegas may be ‘tip of iceberg’ CDC head says outbreak may represent safety problems in other U.S. clinics WASHINGTON - An outbreak of hepatitis C at a Nevada clinic may represent “the tip of an iceberg” of safety problems at clinics around the country, according to the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2008 Mar Am J Infect Control. ;36(2):123-8. Variation in interpretation and counselling of blood exposure incidents by different medical practitioners. Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, BACKGROUND: Blood exposure incidents pose a risk for transmission... Despite several national and international guidelines, counsellors have often different opinions about the risks caused by these incidents. Little is known about the consequences of these variations in risk assessment...  remarkable inconsistencies in the response to prevent the transmission of bloodborne pathogens

February, 2008 Committee of Ten Thousand  Vol. 10 No. 2
COTT JUDICIARY Supreme Court Protects Medical Device Manufacturers- ...allowed FDA approval of medical devices to be sufficient grounds to block efforts to sue their manufacturers... Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) said “The Supreme Court’s decision strips consumers of rights they’ve had for decades. This isn’t what Congress intended, and we’ll pass legislation as quickly as possible to fix this nonsensical situation.”
Feb. 27, 2008 The Southern Nevada Health District..40,000 patients of a Las Vegas Endoscopy Clinic ...at risk ..for Hepatitis C and other diseases. ... large-scale patient notification that was just announced moments ago. The joint investigation identified the re-use of syringes (not needles) and the use of single dose vials of anesthesia medication on multiple patients as the potential sources of contamination. Feb 26, 2008 OSHA Cracks Down on Citations, Probloodborne.com Offers Solution- Grand Rapids, MI 2/26/2008 10:50 PM GMT (FINDITT)- OSHA delivers up to 70,000 dollars in fines for facilities not in full compliance with bloodborne pathogens standard. Personnel can now conveniently and securely complete bloodborne pathogens training compliant with OSHA healthcare regulations on-line avoiding the inefficiency and scheduling hassles of on-site training. Note: $19.95 and 10 questions later, you're "Certified"?
Feb. 25, 2008 Hepatitis C Danger In Your MD's Office? Outbreaks Of Dangerous Infection Coming From An Unlikely Place NEW YORK, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay reports. "...In the end, 99 people were infected, the largest outbreak of its kind in North American history. The cause: Nurses were discarding used needles, but were reusing the syringes, thereby passing the infection from patient to patient...Since 1999 ..."  

February 2008 Northern Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer- Doctor Caught Reusing Syringes- It has been discovered ... committing medical malpractice by reusing syringes .. obstetrician-gynecologist reused syringes while administering flu ... In that case... notified approximately 11,000 patients of his reuse of syringes. As a result, thousands of patients were exposed to blood-borne pathogen infections, resulting in transmission of hepatitis C.  Read more

 February 15, 2008 MMWR CDC- Notice to Readers: Medical Equipment Malfunctions Associated with Inappropriate Use of Cleaning and Disinfecting Liquids.... (FDA), in collaboration with CDC, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, issued a public health notification alerting health-care providers and the public about malfunctions caused by improper use of cleaning and disinfecting liquids.* Read more

January 30, 2008 Health commissioner wants ban on multidose vials ridgely.ochs@newsday.com State Health Commissioner Richard Daines... called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to eliminate the manufacture and distribution of medications in multidose vials, the source of hepatitis C transmission... Read more

January 2008 NIDA Home > Publications > Director's Reports  
 Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Noninjecting Drug Users in New York City- The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among noninjecting drug users has been reported to be higher than in the general population, but the reasons for this observation remain unclear. Read more
January 2008 WHO > Programmes and projects > Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response (EPR) > Diseases covered by EPR > Hepatitis

... the only means of protection are the implementation universal precautions and safe injection practices. Read more

 January 2008  Fibrin glue used for burns, facelifts...Fibrin glue, a surgical adhesive linked to the transmission of the hepatitis C virus, was used in a wide variety of areas...used on about 79,000 patients...made from a combination of substances including HCV-tainted fibrinogen manufactured by the defunct Green Cross Corp. mainly between 1981 and 1987 Read more

Also see  4/29/2005 Hepatitis C scare halts use of surgical adhesive- ...fibrinogen, which is found in human blood, and is culled from blood supplies in the United States. click here

Source: The Lancet, transmission of hepatitisC virus associated with fibrinogen treatment

January 16th, 2008 Another Long Island Doctor Commits Malpractice By Reusing Syringes-  It’s been revealed that another Long Island doctor has reused syringes when administering injections to patients.  Dr. E. Jacob Simhaee, a Manhasset-based obstetrician-gynecologist reused syringes when administering flu shots to at least 36 patients last fall.  ...Late last year, it was learned that Dix Hills doctor Harvey Finkelstein had infected several of his patients with blood borne diseases after reusing syringes.

 

 

  
January 4, 2008 Hepatitis patient sues, blames dental implants-FROM STNG WIRE REPORTS- A woman who underwent dental implant surgery ...suing the makers of products used in the surgery, after she learned the products had been recalled and she had contracted Hepatitis C. Read more
 		 January 10, 2008 Guardian Unlimited-British soldiers in contaminated blood scare-  ...soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.. given transfusions of contaminated blood after the US military failed to follow its own testing procedures... Read more

2007
12/26/2007-5 infected with hepatitis C after undergoing heart test at hospital-..A municipal hospital's practice of reusing a disposable device for monitoring blood pressure during cardiac catheter tests resulted in five people developing hepatitis C as a result of the checkup.
 		 Breaches in safe-injection practices CDC recommendations. ..Fourteen patients reported breaches in safe-injection practices by the practitioner, including 1) failure to practice hand hygiene, 2) failure to prepare the skin with an antiseptic, 3) failure to wipe vials with alcohol before injection, and 4) failure to wear gloves. Of 11 patients who could recall, all reported use of a new needle; however, nine patients reported use of a multidose vial. 
December 2007- GRAND RAPIDS - Six patients of former dermatologist Dr. Robert Stokes ...while 8,500 more will be notified that they may be at risk... Dec 2007 Source: The Lancet, Vol. 370, 15 ... attention to 2 articles in the ...The Lancet recalling the transmission of hepatitisC virus associated with fibrinogen treatment...associated with hepatitis C virus infection 
December 21, 2007 Non-Hospital RNs Face High Risk of Needlesticks- MedPage Today- Nearly 9% of registered nurses who work outside the hospital had an accidental needlestick... a rate of 13.8 per 100 person-years... non-hospital RNs may have more than 145,000 needlesticks in the U.S.
 		 December 24, 2007 Hospital waste spreading hepatitis-Hepatitis-C is rapidly spreading among large number of young garbage pickers/ scavengers

Fri 7 Dec 2007- HEPATITIS C, HEMODIALYSIS UNIT - SPAIN (BARCELONA)-Three children between 3 and 12 years of age have contracted hepatitis C...were receiving treatment in the hemodialysis unit. A failure in the hygiene protocol, ...thus far "we have not been able to establish the exact cause" leading to the chain of infection.

 

 Dec 2, 2007 Our Unsanitary Hospitals
By Betsy McCaughey These infections are caused largely by unclean hands, inadequately cleaned equipment and contaminated clothing that allow bacteria to spread from patient to patient, says McCaughey. In a study released in April, Boston University researchers
PMID: 13130210 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE Nosocomial risk factors of hepatitis C infection. A multicenter study in a hospital-based population]... Logistic regression analysis showed ...endoscopy were found as independent risk factors for HCV infection... No other risk factor for nosocomial or iatrogenic transmission was identified...other healthcare-related procedures may partly explain HCV transmission. This emphasizes the need to reinforce compliance with standard precautions of hygiene. Dec 1, 2007 Bosn J Basic Med Sci. 2006 Nov;6(4):13-7.  Hepatitis C infection in risk groups.-Results of this study confirm that general screening for HCV infection is recommended in risk groups for HCV infection in order to identify to prevent and to treat it.

 

 
November 28, 2007 NIOSH Addresses Body Art Hazards... has created a new topic page titled "Body Art," after numerous meetings--including OSHA--to help identify the hazards and bloodborne pathogen risks tattoo artists and body piercers experience while working  
November 20, 2007 Hepatitis Found Again Among Doctor's Patients NY Times
By PAUL VITELLO
Published:

Nassau County health officials yesterday reported another positive test for hepatitis among the patients of an anesthesiologist on Long Island whose faulty infection-control practices put hundreds of people at risk. 		November 20, 2007- Hospital admission is a relevant source of hepatitis C virus acquisition in Spain. PMID: 17998149 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] The most relevant risk factors registered during the 6-month period preceding the diagnosis of acute hepatitis C were: hospital admission in 73 (67%) cases
 
November 13, 2007 Doctor reused needles, put patients at risk n michael.amon@newsday.com    
About 630 patients of a Nassau County physician who reused needles and syringes have been notified that they are at risk for.. hepatitis  C ... two of the doctor's patients have already contracted hepatitis C. The physician, an anesthesiologist		 Sept./Oct. 2007  Rev. Inst. Med. trop. S. Paulo vol.49 no.5 São Paulo  Sexual transmission of hepatitis C ...chances of sexual transmission are low or almost null,

 

 May 01, 2007 VIETNAM EXPERIENCE In 1964, a program designed to protect all military personnel stationed in Asia against hepatitis was instituted. A 16-percent solution of human serum gamma globulin in a dose of 0.05 ml/lb was used.
April 17, 2007 FDA Seizes All Medical Products Media Inquiries: Heidi Rebello, 301-827-6242 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA FDA Seizes All Medical Products From N.J. Device Manufacturer for Significant Manufacturing Violations...compromise the safety and effectiveness of the products, particularly their sterility. Apr-9-2007 Doc says unsafe syringes responsible for HCV Liver diseases, hepatitis C assuming alarming proportions in Pakistan: warns health experts .. speaker...warned that Hepatitis C ...assuming alarming proportion in Pakistan with each passing day.

April 7 2007 OBITUARIES
Steven G. Economou: 1922 - 2007
Surgeon, writer, doodler...chairing the surgery department at what is now Rush University Medical Center ...From 1983 to 1993, he was chairman of Rush's general surgery department...Dr. Economou had suffered from hepatitis C, which he probably contracted in the operating room, and underwent a liver transplant about 12 years ago,

 

April 3, 2007 Dental Patient-to- Patient Hepatitis ALENXANDRIA, VA --  -- Researchers have documented .... transmission between two patients at a dentist's office ...has long been a concern in dental infection control. The blood-borne pathogen is hardy, persisting in dried blood on surfaces for a week or more. It can be present even in the absence of visible blood.

Apr 2, 2007 U.S. Hospital Errors Continue to Rise  (HealthDay News).. Ten of 16 types of patient-safety incidents increased over the three years of the study, by an average of almost 12 percent. The greatest increases were in post-operative sepsis (about 34.3 percent); post-operative respiratory failure (18.7 percent); and selected infections due to medical care (about 12.2 percent).
March 22, 2007 The Edmonton Journal Sterilization room shut down 'It only takes one cell to give you hepatitis' Surgical instrument sterilization is serious business... St. Joseph's General Hospital, the sterilization room was shut down...scopes and tools hadn't been properly cleaned. "If you don't take all this apart and clean it...cooking for years,"...searching through patient files back to 2003, to identify which patients...exposed to the blood-borne pathogens...  

March-2007 NY Statewide Testing for HCV Epidemic - Health officials are urging residents to get tested for Hepatitis C, saying it's become a statewide epidemic. According to the New York Post, cases of the virus have doubled in the last five years...tip of the iceberg...the city had more than 14,000 cases of Hepatitis C in 2005. Last year's data isn't available yet, but officials are predicting a big hike.

  
Friday, 30 March , 2007 Investigation into Sterilisation Hepatitis scare prompts investigation into sterilisation Reporter: Brendan Trembath MARK BANNERMAN: The last thing you'd expect when you go to the doctor for a vitamin injection is to end up with hepatitis C. But that's exactly what's happened ...Public health officials are concerned at the news and they've advised that another 100 people who've been to the clinic may be at risk. March 08, 2007 Can Saliva Transmit Hepatitis C- by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac. People with chronic Hepatitis C are advised not to share toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers or other personal articles that may have potentially been in contact with their blood. While there is very little emphasis on saliva...under the right circumstances there is some evidence to the contrary:
· The person with the virus must have a viral load over one million.· Both parties involved have gum disease.
Mar 5; 2007 Am J Ind Med. 50(4):285-292 Potential work-related exposures to bloodborne pathogens by industry and occupation ..but it lacks details on the circumstances of the exposure and other relevant issues...CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that each industry group has unique needs that should be addressed. March 2007 Hep C testing beginning on patients Hep C testing beginning on patients-Testing for hepatitis C has begun on the patients of a...surgeon who contracted the disease...after a routine exam in February, was confirmed to have hepatitis C...Appointments are set for 150 people this weekend.
 
March-2007 Sweet wants more screening of doctors -..chief health officer would like to see health-care workers in high-risk jobs voluntarily screened for infectious diseases such as hepatitis C.
Dr. Lamont Sweet told CBC News Tuesday .. he is encouraging all at-risk health-care workers to get tested.		 February 7, 2007 Prostate biopsy between 1989 and 2003FDA News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE P07-14  Media Inquiries: FDA Press Office, 301-827-6242 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA- Custom Ultrasonics Signs Consent Decree- Company agrees to stop manufacturing devices that wash and disinfect endoscopes until it corrects problems... agreed to stop manufacturing and distributing its System 83 Plus Washer/Disinfector and the System Plus 83 Mini-flex Washer/Disinfector until...compliance with FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements of its Quality System (QS) regulation.
   
June. 15, 2007- 3 hepatitis C cases tied to N.Y. anesthesiologist- Authorities urged 4,500 people who were treated by an anesthesiologist to get tested for hepatitis C, saying three patients may have been infected as the doctor gave them anesthesia.

Jun 07-  Injection Behavior, Not Sexual Contact, Accounts for Couples' Hepatitis C Risk NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Injection behavior, rather than sexual contact, accounts for the clustering of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in heterosexual couples, according to a report in the June 1st issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
June 1, 2007- AIDS Info at a Glance- FDA Approves New Test to Screen for HIV and HCV in Donated Blood...The CDC reports that 25% ...HIV infection are also infected with HCV. That percentage increases to 50-90% in HIV-infected injection drug users. 03-23-2007 Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) (NIOSH
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have jointly published a Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) (NIOSH 2007-132 and OSHA SHIB # 03-23-2007) designed to help protect surgical personnel from needle stick injuries while using suture needles.
May 2007 Source: SR International, Radio Sweden- It has been revealed that thousands of people... and the risk has been known for years. ... up to 23 000 people who might have the liver disease should be traced....In the past, it was thought that it might be unethical to contact patients and tell them they were at risk.. May 2007 The Capital Development Authority's Directorate of Health Services (DHS) have diagnosed 10 barbers with HIV/AIDS and 52 with hepatitis in the city during the last 3 years, Daily Times has learned.
May 2007 Infection Control- Author: Patti V. Hoffman, RN, BS, MPH National Center of Continuing Education, Inc. Transmission-Based Precautions-Transmission-based precautions were designed for patients with suspected or documented infection with highly transmissible or epidemiologically important pathogens requiring additional practices beyond standard precautions. Apr 2007 Advice to dentists on instrument use- Health Protection Report Vol.1 No.16- Advice for dentists on single-use of endodontic instruments for all patients to reduce the risk of secondary transmission...

2006
June 19, 2006 Prostate biopsy between 1989 and 2003 FDA Public Health Notification: Reprocessing of Reusable Ultrasound Transducer Assemblies Used for Biopsy Procedures(You are encouraged to copy and distribute this information)..the lumen of a needle guide of an ultrasound transducer assembly was found to be soiled. The alert provided recommendations on reprocessing that brand of transrectal ultrasound transducer, which is widely used..... November 2006 Journal of Viral Hepatitis 13(11): 775-782. 15 independent risk factors for HCV By Liz Highleyman a significant proportion of hepatitis C patients (20%-40%) have no identified route of transmission. In conclusion, the authors wrote, ".our data incriminate previously unidentified risk factors
Date: 11 Jun 2007  Reuter's Alert Net- 18 hospitals and 39 drug trading companies were found to be using the
fake human albumin, which led to huge profits because of its low production cost.		 June 2, 2006 MILWAUKEE - More than 22,000 veterans who underwent prostate biopsies at veterans' hospitals across the country are being warned that improperly sterilized equipment may have exposed them to deadly viruses...inadequacies with the biopsy cleaning procedure at 21 medical centers in 18 states, plus Puerto Rico.

 

May 21 2006 Source: Toronto Globe and Mail online, Toronto: hepatitis prompts warning at Scarborough Hospital...public health authorities have warned 400 Scarborough Hospital dialysis patients ...risk of hepatitis infection ...not to share their toothbrushes or razors with family members...cluster of hepatitis-positive dialysis patients identified this month [May 2006]..." said Dr Michael Finkelstein...

 
May 2006 VA biopsies could have infected men Nashville center alerts 413 on prostate test; 16 hospitals nationally involved The Tennessean-By CLAUDIA PINTO Staff Writer- More than 300 Tennessee veterans could be at risk of infections, including HIV, after improperly sterilized equipment might have been used on them during their prostate biopsies at the VA hospital in Nashville.
 		  


Non-Drug Related Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus
2003-2005
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The Hepatitis C epidemic is discovering what was. In 1988, 242,000 Hepatitis C infections were reported annually. These high figures were reported throughout 1970's & 1980's.  Since 1989, and mandatory heating or washing of blood products, the annual number of new infections declined  80 % by 1998.  Universal precaution became mandatory in 1996. But,  preconceived ideas and notions have stifled awareness to the many transmission methods, discovered yearly, for this disease. CDC-Hepatitis C infections were reported annually.

2005
American Journal of Public Health says that if health leaders don’t make significant strides in crafting HCV education and prevention programs, there could be nearly 200,000 U.S. deaths from the disease by 2019 and nearly $13 billion in health care costs. I
Nov 2005 American Academy of Pediatrics  Transmission of Hepatitis C Through Swapping Body Jewelry-By Daniel, A Rebecca; Sheha, Thomas she routinely shared her pierced body jewelry with a female friend. only 3% to 5% of American patients are infected with genotype 3a hepatitis C virus. Click here 11/15/05 Laboratory Evaluation of Endoscope Water Bottles-By Paul J. Pearce, PhD, Nova Biologicals, Inc. Test results show that 92 percent of the endoscope water bottles tested were contaminated with either bacteria or fungi. Contaminants included known human pathogens Click here
11/07/05 Risk Factors for Perinatal Transmission of HCV and a Higher Incidence of Infection in Male
than in Female Infants By Ronald Baker, PhD
In multivariate analysis restricted to HCV RNA-positive mothers, membrane rupture >/= 6 h and internal fetal monitoring were associated with transmission of HCV to infants. Click here		 October 26, 2005 Md. General To Repay $55,029 To Medicaid Hospital Settles Over Unverifiable HIV Test Results-  Maryland General sent out hundreds of potentially incorrect AIDS and Hepatitis C test results last March, leading to Congressional hearings into the hospital's quality. Click here
Oct. 26, 2005 FDA warns about unscreened human tissue The Associated Press... the firm illegally bought body parts from funeral homes to sell to tissue processors... sold human tissue to processors for eventual implantation into people because it may not have been properly screened for infections. Click here  Oct. 2005 "This is a low estimate," said Dr. Weiss, because less than half of the surgical cases were tested. Review SAN FRANCISCO - John Hopkins Surgeons Warned! ....study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons. 33% of surgical patients had Hep C. "This is a low estimate," said Dr. Weiss  Click here 
Oct. 2005 FIVE MILLION AMERICANS INFECTED WITH THE HEPATITIS C VIRUS: A CORRECTED ESTIMATE AASLD Nov 2005 Brian R. Edlin, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY…of these, approximately 3.4 million are currently infected (chronic HCV)… Click here Oct. 2005 Professor: Most people with hepatitis C don't know it- By Beverly J. Lydick/Tribune staff- Most people infected with the hepatitis C virus aren't even aware of it, a University of Massachusetts Medical School professor testified Friday in Dodge County District Court. Click here
 
10/3/2005 Tattooing Is an Independent Risk Factor for HCV Infection on the El Paso, Texas-Mexico Border The role of non sterile tattooing practices in HCV transmission merits additional examination in regard to precise risk settings, frequency and mechanisms of infection.” Click here
 		 Sept 21, 2005 VA dental clinic warns patients some instruments were not sterilized By Karen Kane, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A patient of a dental clinic at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Butler filed a legal claim .. some clinic instruments were not sterilized between uses. ..shut down the clinic between March and May, and in June, sent letters to 2,000 patients who had visited it from 1999
 
Sept. 1, 2005  Bethesda, Maryland   Most chronic hepatitis C sufferers will develop cirrhosis in later life-... nearly inevitable.. 80 percent ... will develop cirrhosis Click here

22/09/05 London law firm to probe blood scandal By Evelyn Ring A LONDON-based law firm has been engaged by the Government to investigate the role played by US-based pharmaceutical firms in the blood contamination scandal. Click here