TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas officials say a third former patient at Hays Medical Center has tested positive for a strain of hepatitis C linked to a cluster of New Hampshire cases traced to a traveling hospital technician.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says 474 people were potentially exposed to hepatitis C when David Kwiatkowksi worked at the Hays hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab from May 24 to Sept. 22, 2010.
KDHE says 366 former Hays patients have been tested so far. Two were reported positive earlier this month. KDHE reported the third positive test this week.
Some former patients are still being tested.
Kwiatkowski has denies allegations that he stole drugs from the New Hampshire hospital, injected himself and contaminated syringes later used on patients. He previously worked in seven other states, including Kansas.
