is now facing more than a dozen lawsuits after a hepatitis C outbreak infected 26 of its patients.
The outbreak was likely caused by a who spread the disease through dirty needles, state health officials have said. A hospital worker also contracted hepatitis C, but officials have declined to say if that's the person they suspect caused the outbreak. A criminal investigation has been into the matter.
Nearly 50 patients have joined a class-action lawsuit against the hospital, and about a dozen others have filed individual lawsuits. The litigation is being handled in Rockingham County Superior Court.
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One of the most recent individual lawsuits was filed by an 82-year-old man from Exeter, according to the Union Leader.
Exeter Hospital officials have declined to comment on the pending litigation.
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There's a chance the victim toll could rise, as test results are still coming in on about 1,000 patients who may have been exposed to the outbreak. Fewer than 100 patients still need to be tested.
Hepatitis C is a sometimes chronic liver disease that can cause cirrhosis – a scarring of the liver that can lead to death. The disease can be with medication.
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