Another mass hepatitis C infection confirmed

By Kim Bo-eun

Concerns are widening over a mass hepatitis C infection, as another case was confirmed in Sunchang County, North Jeolla Province, Wednesday.

This is the third case of hepatitis C this year alone, and the fourth since December.

Regional health authorities confirmed a mass infection in a town in the rural region, with the number of patients estimated at up to 200.

They suspect the patients were infected after receiving treatments from unlicensed dental and Oriental medicine practitioners. Previous mass infections had occurred at single medical institutions, mainly from the reuse of syringes.

An official of the public medical center in Sunchang said the patients received treatments from people who go from village to village in rural regions and perform acupuncture or dental procedures at low prices for elderly residents.

“So we suspect the infections have been taking place over a long time by a number of unlicensed practitioners who may have reused their equipment or poorly sterilized it,” he said. “Other rural villages with large elderly populations may also be affected.”

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus, which affects the liver. The virus is spread by blood-to-blood contact and is often associated with poor hygiene of medical equipment.

The latest case is shedding light on the loophole of government measures against mass hepatitis C infections, which focus on strong monitoring of hospital hygiene and infection control but miss regulating unlicensed medical treatments. The measures came from previous cases where large numbers of patients were infected at one hospital each time.

On Aug. 22, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed that 508 people who were treated at JS Clinic in Dongjak-gu, southern Seoul, were infected with hepatitis C. In February, 435 cases at Hanyang Orthopedic Clinic in Wonju, Gangwon Province, were confirmed, following nearly 100 at Dana Hyeondae Clinic in Yangcheon-gu, southwestern Seoul, in December.