CHANGWON — Fourteen patients and staff members at a hemodialysis unit in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, have been infected with hepatitis C, health authorities said. Officials are conducting an in-depth epidemiological investigation to determine whether the infections occurred during medical procedures.
Two hepatitis C cases were first reported at the medical institution on Sept. 14, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the South Gyeongsang provincial government on the 21st. Authorities launched the investigation on Oct. 6 after finding that patients reported at other medical institutions had used the same hemodialysis unit.
Health authorities tested all 75 patients and staff members who had used the dialysis unit since June this year. The tests found 14 infections, including 13 patients and one staff member.
Hepatitis C is a viral infectious disease transmitted through the blood of infected people. It does not spread through everyday contact such as sharing meals or shaking hands, but can lead to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer if left untreated. Many patients show no symptoms in the early stages of infection.
The disease control agency and the provincial government are conducting genetic analysis of samples collected from the dialysis unit environment and from infected people to pinpoint the transmission route. They are also reviewing dialysis records for each patient, the movements of medical staff, drug use records and security camera footage to investigate whether the infections occurred during medical procedures.