Four Hundred Tested So Far in Hep C Case

After a hepatitis C outbreak at , doctors have tested about 400 of the 650 patients they are seeking out to make sure the disease didn't spread further.

Four people the same strain of the chronic but treatable liver disease. Officials are investigating how the disease spread.

The outbreak occurred in the hospital's cardiac catheterization lab about two weeks ago. The lab was shut down but reopened today, Exeter Hospital officials announced today.

Officials said they want to test more than 650 patients who were treated in the cath lab over the last few months. They said they are working on testing the remaining 250.

Test results take up to 10 days to complete.

Below is a full news release Exeter Hospital officials released today updating the situation:

After thoroughly examining Exeter Hospital’s Cardiac Cath Lab, the New Hampshire Department of Public Health has informed Exeter Hospital that the Cardiac Cath Lab is safe to resume operations on an emergency services
basis.

We believe it is vitally important to share that the Cardiac Cath Lab has reopened as of 4 p.m. on Friday for emergency care and is expected to return to normal operations early next week.

We continue to work closely with the New Hampshire Division of Public Health and we are doing our very best to accommodate and to support our patients during this process.

We have contacted and sent a letter to all of the patients identified for testing and as of 4 p.m. today, approximately 400 patients have been screened or have made an appointment. We will continue to take phone calls and schedule appointments with all of the identified patients until they are tested.

This is an evolving situation and we will continue to share more information as it becomes available. If there are any questions, individuals are encouraged to call the New Hampshire Division of Public Health at (603) 271-4496 or Exeter Hospital’s Information and Referral Center at (603) 580-6124.

If you are one of the patients who was tested and want to share your experience – good or bad – contact Exeter Patch Editor Jason Claffey at jason.claffey@patch.com or 978-319-8674.

We will protect your identity if you choose.