In January, infections in 35 Virginia Mason patients were linked to specialized endoscopes used in a procedure known as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Now, newly released public records are showing the number of patients tied to the outbreak may actually be 39.
Additionally, four people who were not treated with duodenoscopes were infected with a shared strain of unrelated bacteria, according to internal emails released in response to a Seattle Times disclosure request.
Despite the new cases linked to contaminated scopes, Jeffrey Duchin, MD, interim local health officer for public health in Seattle and King Counties, tells The Seattle Times the problem isn’t necessarily getting worse. According to Dr. Duchin, the outbreak has actually been halted since Virginia Mason implemented its new protocol for cleaning the devices.
Virginia Mason officials have declined to comment on the new cases or the additional cluster of infections due to pending litigation, according to the report.
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