Hepatitis C Probe Extends to Kansas

UPDATE, 6 p.m. Saturday

Kansas officials are testing hundreds of patients to determine if they were infected with hepatitis C by Dave Kwiatkowksi, the Associated Press reported today.

Kwiatkowski worked at Hays Medical Center from May 24, 2010 through Sept. 22, 2010, which is about the time he learned he had hepatitis C, the FBI said.

"As medical professionals and members of the Hays community, we are deeply concerned by the alleged criminal conduct of this individual in New Hampshire," Hays Medical Center president Dr. John Jeter said in a statement.

UPDATE, 4:20 p.m. Friday

David Kwiatkowski also worked at hospitals in Maryland and Michigan, according to the Associated Press.

Investigators are looking into the possibility that he spread his hepatitis C at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland when he worked there for six months starting in July 2009.

Michigan authorities also confirmed that Kwiatkowski worked at hospitals in that state, though they have said which ones.

The FBI has said Kwiatkowski knew he had hepatitis C in mid-2010, though it's unclear exactly when he contracted the potentially deadly liver disease.

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Did an Exeter Hospital worker with causing a hepatitis C outbreak also spread the disease in other states?

Officials are investigating the possibility.

David Matthew Kwiatkowski was arrested this morning on charges that he spread his hepatitis C by stealing drugs at Exeter Hospital. Thirty unsuspecting patients were infected with the potentially fatal liver disease after needles that Kwiatkowski injected into himself to get high were reused on them.

U.S. Attorney John Kacavas said Kwiatkowski worked at hospitals in six other states before coming to Exeter. Kacavas declined to identify the hospitals.

We are closer to the beginning of our investigation than at the end of it," Kacavas said. "This has the potential (to have) far-reaching implications."

Jose Montero, New Hampshire's public health director, said his department has reached out to those other hospitals to determine if patients contracted the same strain of hepatitis C that the Exeter patients did.

Montero said his department is still waiting on test results for about 30 Exeter Hospital patients to see if they contracted hepatitis C.

After the testing, state health officials are expected to explore ways to prevent future outbreaks from occurring.

"This shouldn't have happened in the first place," Montero said.

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