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The Las Vegas Hepatitis C/HIV Crisis

by Heather on March 6th, 2008

I’m not sure how widespread this story is, but last week Las Vegans heard the news that the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada and a few other related clinics had, for the last four years, been reusing vials and syringes from patient to patient to save money.

From 2004 to January 2008, 40,000 people are said to have been put at risk by this unbelievable lack of intelligence.

People are being tested left and right now - most at their own cost because the center refuses to get involved further. And as you can imagine, the attorney commercials on TV sprang up the day after, though this is one I feel has a definite leg to stand on. Six people so far have tested positive since the story broke and several more who have tested positive over the last few years now have a possible explanation of how they contracted Hepatitis C.

One thing I hadn’t thought of though, is the flip side of the coin: where the Hepatitis-tainted blood came from. One man in particular says he’s feeling guilty that his blood possibly infected other people, which I find heartbreaking because it was nothing he had a hand in, nothing he did wrong, and something he had no control over:

“I know it wasn’t my fault rationally, but you can’t help but feel guilty,” said the 58-year-old, who underwent a colonoscopy on that key date, one that health officials have definitively linked to a cluster of local hepatitis C cases.

“I was there that day. I was one of the first patients treated. I have hepatitis C. … Common sense would tell you, it was me.”

The man has (probably wisely) decided to stay anonymous because he fears for his safety.

And would you believe - the Endoscopy Center wants to reopen?

[image: stock.xchng]

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