Previous Outbreaks
As shocking as it may be, the outbreak of infectious diseases in Las Vegas is not the first time such a tragedy has occured. We have provided some other examples of similar outbreaks from around the country below.
Location: Bedford Texas
Outbreak Date: Dec 1991
Facility: Mid-Cities Surgi-Center
Exposed Patients: Unknown
Diagnosed Cases: 11
Facts: Patients were exposed to the virus by an infected drug user who worked at the center.
Location: Ontario, Canada
Outbreak Date: Jan 1995
Facility: Neurologist Ronald Wilson
Exposed Patients: 14,000
Diagnosed Cases: Unknown
Facts: The doctor used unsterilized needles which were inserted into his patients scalps during electroencephalogram brain scans. His technologist had Hepatitis B but did not wear surgical gloves when assisting the Doctor.
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Outbreak Date: Jan 1995
Facility: Normon Regional Hospital
Exposed Patients: 908
Diagnosed Cases: 69 Diagnosed with Hepatitis C and 31 Diagnosed with Hepatitis C
Facts: Nurse anesthetist repeatedly used the same needle and syringe to give drugs
Location: Fremont, Nebraska
Outbreak Date: March 2000
Facility: Freemont Cancer Centre/Dr. Tahir Ali Javed
Exposed Patients: 613
Diagnosed Cases: 99 Diagnosed with Hepatitis C
Facts: Health-care worker used the same syringe to draw blood from patients catheters and to draw catheter-flushing solution for multiple patients.
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Outbreak Date: March 2001
Facility: Bay Ridge Endoscopy and Digestive Health Center
Exposed Patients: 2,200
Diagnosed Cases: 19 Diagnosed with Hepatitis C
Facts: Infection was likely due to inappropriate injection practices stemming from multiple-dose anesthesia vials. During a nine day period, 12 out of 68 patients who went into the clinic were infected with Hepatitis.
Location: New York, New York
Outbreak Date: Dec 2003
Facility: Unknown
Exposed Patients: 4,500
Diagnosed Cases: 19 Diagnosed with Hepatitis C
Facts: This cluster of outbreak appears to be a due to reuse of needles and syringes into a medication vial by the same anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist worked at 10 different clinics where the outbreaks occured.
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Outbreak Date: Oct 2004
Facility: Arundel Heart Associates/Dr. Paul Young-Hyman
Exposed Patients: 16
Diagnosed Cases: 12 Diagnosed with Hepatitis C, at least 1 fatality
Facts: Up to 16 patients were given a radioactive solution from the same vial on Oct 15. The vial appears to have been infected prior to being shipped to the doctor's office.
Location: Plainview, New York / Massapequa, New York
Outbreak Date: Jan 2005
Facility: Arundel Heart Associates/Dr. Paul Young-Hyman
Exposed Patients: 10,400
Diagnosed Cases: 1 Diagnosed with Hepatitis C
Facts: The doctor reused syringes.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Outbreak Date: Unknown
Facility: Dr. Robert Stokes
Exposed Patients: 13,000
Diagnosed Cases: 6 Diagnosed with Hepatitis C
Facts: The doctor reused medical equipment including syringes.
