Two More Test Positive Following Exposure to Contaminated Equipment

VA's June 8, 2009 data on veterans exposed to contaminated equipment was just posted, shows that 2 more veterans have tested positive since last week, the total now stands at 53, the 2 new positives were exposed at the Murfreesboro GI Clinic.

The continues to not provide the exposure dae of the veterans, we don't know if they were exposed in 2004 or 2005 or 2008 or ???

This knowledge is important. If these positive tests are from a specific time period then the need to retest others exposed outside of that time period might be less warranted. This could add a little piece of mind to those exposed veterans, but then again, when has the VA ever worried about anything other than their legal positioning.

Given these results and the facts that people can become positive many months following exposure, we hope that all exposed veterans continue to get regular testing for the next two years.

The break down by facility is below:
Murfreesboro GI Clinic
Hepatitis B - 7
Hepatitis C - 20
HIV - 1

Miami GI Clinic
Hepatitis B - 3
Hepatitis C - 8
HIV - 3

Augusta ENT Clinic
Hepatitis B - 3
Hepatitis C - 6
HIV - 2