Hepatitis C outbreak identified at Kitchener colonoscopy clinic

  • by
  • CBC

‘Strong evidence of patient to patient transmission’

Five patients who were treated at the Tri-City Colonoscopy Clinic in
Kitchener on Christmas Eve in 2013 were infected with hepatitis C, says
Waterloo Region Public Health.

The patients were among 13 who received treatment at the clinic
that day, said a report published Tuesday by the public health
department.

“This is strong evidence of patient to patient transmission of
hepatitis C due to a lapse in infection prevention and control practices
at the clinic,” the report said.

Waterloo Region Public Health first started investigating in
November 2014 while conducting a routine follow-up with a patient
recently diagnosed with hepatitis C. The patient’s medical records
didn’t show any risk factors, other than the fact they had been treated
at the colonoscopy clinic on Sportsworld Crossing Road.

Public health then launched an official investigation, and
discovered a second case of the virus found in another patient treated
at the same clinic on the same day.

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