New Case Of Hep-C Confirmed

By: Stacey Kaisers.kaiser@krdo.comFollow me on Twitter at staceykaiser@twitter.com

COLORADO – State health officials confirm that testing has uncovered a new case of Hepatitis-C tied to a drug swapping surgical tech. The total is now 11 people who have contracted the disease. All 11 people are from Rose Medical Center in Denver.

So far, no one has tested positive for the disease from Audubon Surgery Center in Colorado Springs. Almost 1,800 people have undergone testing in the past 2 weeks. About 6,000 people had surgeries at the two facilities during the times in question. And authorities are looking into a 3rd hospital in New York that may be affected.

Former Rose and Audubon employee Kristen Parker was using clean needles to inject herself with the painkiller Fentanyl, then putting the dirty needles back in operating rooms. Parker has Hepatitis-C.

Audubon Surgery Center says almost 900 of the 1,200 potentially exposed patients have already been tested.