Miami VA Finds Cases of Hepatitis C and HIV

In late March over 3000 patients of the Miami VA Hospital were notified they may have been exposed to HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C during their colonoscopy due to improperly sterilized equipment. All the patients potentially exposed were offered blood tests to determine if any infection had occurred. So far, the Miami VA has found 7 new cases of Hepatitis C and 1 case of HIV, most likely a result of the poorly sterilized colonoscopy equipment. A similar problem came to light at a VA hospital in Tennessee and as of now one new HIV infection has been identified.. At the Miami VA, the process of testing potentially infected patients continues while VA officials are reviewing procedures and protocols to figure out how this could have happened and to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Related Information

• Questions About HIV Transmission

• Casual Contact - Risk or No Risk?

• HIV Quick Facts - Vertical Transmission

Story Update

VA officials have found a third person that has tested HIV positive since being informed by the VA that there was a problem in the way colonoscopy equipment was sterilized. This newest case is from a VA in Georgia.