Exeter Hepatitis C Catastrophe Felt Up and Down U.S.

The fallout from a hepatitis C outbreak at is being felt up and down the country.

Twenty people so far have been with the disease, which attacks the liver and can be deadly. State health officials are the outbreak on a rogue hospital employee who was stealing drugs.

The hospital has identified nearly 1,000 patients who could have contracted hepatitis C at its cardiac catheterization lab, where officials say the disease spread. Most of those people have submitted samples for testing. Officials have said they expect the victim count to rise as more test results come in.

One person who hasn't submitted a sample is a woman who lives in Daytona Beach, Florida.

She said she was in New Hampshire a few months ago on vacation when she suffered a cardiac episode and was treated at Exeter Hospital's cath lab. The hospital recently contacted her and said she needs to get tested because she might have been exposed to hepatitis C.

"I am hysterical, scared and sleepless," said the woman, who Exeter Patch is not identifying.

She said she needs to consult with her doctor about how she is going to get her blood sample sent to New Hampshire for testing. Exeter Hospital has been collecting samples and sending them to a state labratory for testing, though two dozen samples were after they were left untouched for a few days and became no good.

That concerned the woman.

"I have had to run around like an idiot ... and hope that the blood can be sent properly and arrive in a fresh condition," she said. "If it doesn't, then what ... are my options?"

Exeter Hospital spokeswoman Debra Vasapolli said the hospital will assist out-of-state patients with getting their blood samples transported to New Hampshire for testing.

Test results take seven to 10 days to process, officials have said.

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