Hepatitis C update: 596 patients have tested negative for virus

An update from the Singapore General Hospital on Oct 29, 2015, said that 596 patients have tested negative so far, with three more pending. ST PHOTO: ALICIA CHAN

SINGAPORE - No new cases of hepatitis C were found on Thursday (Oct 29), the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) said in an update.

Of the 602 patients tested, 596 tested negative and three results are pending. In addition, a total of 312 staff have been screened, and they have all tested negative.

The hospital has begun contacting more patients for testing, it said in the update.

In addition to those who stayed in wards 64A and 67 from January to June, it is extending hepatitis C testing to those who stayed in the wards from July to September.

The extension of the screening was recommended by an independent committee looking into the outbreak. The move, announced on Wednesday (Oct 28), is to ensure that the precautionary measures have been effective.

About 350 more patients will be tested in this second round.

SGH announced on Oct 6 that 22 kidney patients had contracted hepatitis C while receiving treatment in the hospital.

Those affected stayed in renal wards 64A and 67.

It was announced earlier that three patients had tested positive, bringing the total number of patients infected to 25.

Eight patients have died, with five of the deaths possibly linked to the infection.

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