The first U.S. transmission of hepatitis C can be attributed to a Tulsa-area dentist that used rusty equipment and reused needles.
"This is the first documented report of patient-to-patient transmission of hepatitis C virus associated with a dental setting in the United States," Dr. Kristy Bradley said in a statement, the Associated Press reported via the Huffington Post. "While dental procedures are generally safe, this reinforces the importance of adhering to strict infection control procedures in dental settings."
Dr. W. Scott Harrington's practice was shut down on March 28 after health inspectors noticed the unsanitary conditions. Out of his 7,000 patients 4,202 were tested for infectious diseases. Eighty-nine of the those patients tested positive for hepatitis C, five for hepatitis B, and four for HIV (the virus that can lead to AIDS). Only one case of the virus was able to be traced to the clinic as the definite source of infection.
"While our investigation documents the transmission of hepatitis C, we have no reason to believe the hepatitis B cases resulted from exposure in this dental practice," Bradley said.
The state filed 17 complaint counts against the dentist, calling him "a menace to society," the Daily Mail reported.
Several of Harrington's patients also filed a suit against him.
"Plaintiffs are informed and believe that they were exposed to contaminated propofol vials and/or equipment not effectively sterilized by autoclave components, at the dental clinics which resulted in plaintiffs contracting infectious diseases," the lawsuit stated, the AP reported.
Harrington had allegedly been dipping the rusty instruments in bleach to "sterilize" them, the Daily Mail reported.
"The CDC has determined that rusted instruments are porous and cannot be properly sterilized," the board said, the Daily Mail reported.
The case will be reviewed to see what criminal charges would be appropriate.
"The goal is to do a thorough investigation and then make some common sense decisions on potential criminal charges and which agency is in the best position to prosecute any case," Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris said, the Daily Mail reported.
Hepatitis C can cause fever, fatigue, nausea, muscle pain, and jaundice, MayoClinic reported.
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