Two source cases identified in hepatitis outbreak

By Mary Manning

Thursday, July 24, 2008 | 12:21 p.m.

The Southern Nevada Health District has identified two source cases in the hepatitis C outbreak at a local endoscopy center, along with a ninth case of the disease.

One patient had a procedure on July 25, 2007, and the other on Sept. 21, 2007 — the dates that transmitting the disease was known to occur.

An additional chronic case of hepatitis C infection has also been linked to the Sept. 21 source case.

Health district officials said they can link a total of eight hepatitis C cases directly to the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, 700 Shadow Lane, and one acute case to the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center, 4275 Burnham Ave. Both clinics are owned by Dr. Dipak Desai and neither clinic is operating at this time.

Investigators performed genetic testing to determine if the hepatitis C cases on those two days were linked. The testing and results allowed the health district's epidemiology team to positively identify two individuals as the source cases among clusters of patients who underwent procedures on the same dates.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta tested the samples.

"These results will help us to better understand how the disease was transmitted on those days and supports the initial findings of our investigation," said Dr. Lawrence Sands, chief health officer. "It is important for us to remember that this outbreak is not the result of any actions on the part of the patients, but it is the result of unsafe practices by the staff of these clinics."

The health district has reported that 77 cases of hepatitis C infections are considered potentially linked with the Shadow Lane clinic. These patients had different procedure dates and the health district will not be able to perform genetic testing for these cases because there is no identified source for comparison. No more cases have been identified in the

investigation of the acute case related to the Burnham Avenue clinic, where a source case cannot be identified.

The patient in the Burnham Avenue clinic was diagnosed in 2006 but the case was not reported to the health district until March of this year.

In early June, former patients of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada and the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center were notified by mail about the development of the Hepatitis C Exposure Registry. Patients are providing important information as the hepatitis C investigation continues, Sands said.

Hepatitis C patients who wish to enroll in the registry may find forms at any public health center or downloaded from the health district's Web site: www.SouthernNevadaHealthDistrict.org.

Or call the hotline at (702) 759-4626.