Criminal Charges in Exeter Hepatitis C Outbreak?

With 14 people now infected with hepatitis C in an at Exeter Hospital, lawsuits and even criminal charges are likely.

Such action has happened before in similar outbreaks in the United States.

In 2010, a Colorado hospital technician with hepatitis C was sentenced to 30 years in prison after she infected more than 30 patients at her lab. The technician, a woman, fed a drug addiction by injecting herself with drug-filled syringes, replacing them with saline or water, and then allowing them to be used on unsuspecting patients as if they were still filled with drugs. The tactic is called "drug diversion."

A lawsuit was also filed against the hospital where the woman worked. In the aftermath, Colorado lawmakers created legislation introducing enhanced security measures to prevent future drug diversion incidents. Several other states have similar legislation. New Hampshire is not one of them.

New Hampshire health officials are still trying to figure out how the hepatitis C outbreak happened. One of the 14 infected is a , and the state's top public health official investigators are looking into the possibility that the outbreak was created by a drug-addicted employee as in the Colorado case.

Exeter Patch contacted the New Hampshire Attorney General's office last week to inquire about a possible criminal investigation related to the Exeter outbreak.

"We will neither confirm nor deny whether a criminal investigation is ongoing," Deputy Attorney General Ann Rice said.

Exeter Hospital Community Relations Director Debra Vasapolli did not respond to several requests for comment on if the hospital is prepared to face potential legal action.

In terms of scale, the largest hepatitis C outbreak in U.S. history occurred in 2008 at a medical center in Nevada. More than 100 people were infected with the disease and at least one has already died from it.

Hepatitis C is a chronic liver disease that's especially deadly in older patients. At least of the 14 Exeter victims is over the age of 55 – and that patient is currently battling lung cancer, too.

In the Nevada case, victims successfully sued the medical center and drug companies for more than $500 million dollars in damages. It was the largest settlement of its kind. The source of the infection was traced to medical staff reusing syringes to treat patients. A doctor in the case is currently facing a trial on a host of criminal charges, including fraud.

New Hampshire health officials have said the Exeter outbreak is the first time hepatitis C has spread in a hospital setting in the state.

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