Media

Incident Report of University Health Service Dental Unit Update

05 Nov 2012

 

The University Health Service (UHS) managed to contact 252 out of 254 affected people treated at the Health Service dental unit between 30 Oct 2012 (pm) and 2 Nov 2012 (am) for blood tests after some dental instruments were found not having gone through all the procedures of sterilization. The UHS will continue to try to reach the two not yet contacted.

The aim of the first round of blood test is to obtain a current individual immunological baseline for each affected patient, based on which UHS medical staff will be able to tailor individual advice on further testing and to offer timely vaccination to boost immunity. To ascertain the patients are not affected by the incident, follow-up blood tests will be arranged in six months.

Among the affected people, 216 had already attended for the blood tests. UHS Medical staff had also begun calling affected patients to explain test results and arrange appropriate follow up actions.

Up till now, no one screened had been identified as HIV or Hepatitis C carrier. A proportion had been found to possess immunity to the Hepatitis B virus already, as a result of either previous vaccination or natural infection. Six were found to be Hepatitis B carriers, in line with the prevalence rate of Hepatitis B in our local population.

For Media enquiries, please contact Ms Trinni Choy, Assistant Director (Media)
Tel: (852) 2859 2606 Mobile: (852) 9464 3431 Email: pychoy@hku.hk