Clinic That May Have Infected 40,000 With HIV, Hepatitis Closed

[Astraea]

LOS ANGELES — The city of Las Vegas has shut down a clinic where up to 40,000 people may have been exposed to hepatitis C and the HIV virus through the reuse of syringes and vials, officials said on Sunday.
The clinic at the heart of the scandal, the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, "was served with an emergency suspension of its business license," city authorities said in a statement.
Officials are asking about 40,000 people to be tested for hepatitis B and C and HIV because of unsafe medical practices at the clinic.
Health authorities launched an investigation into the clinic after six former patients were diagnosed with hepatitis. Nurses at the clinic were told "to reuse syringes when administering anesthesia" and "to reuse vials of medication," the city said, citing a probe by public health agencies.
The local prosecutors' office said it was closely examining the case and raised the possibility of filing charges against the center.
"It won't happen tomorrow or the next day, but we are taking a hard, fast look at all the facts in the case," District Attorney David Roger told KLAS-TV.
Some former patients had contacted lawyers for a possible class action suit against the clinic, local media reported.

[scarface200729]

My god, how could a clinic be so sloppy in this day and age? I bet they probably tried to clean those syringes off somehow tho to justify it in their minds. I hope they didn't merely wipe them off.

[Astraea]

Well, most of the local clinics never have enough supplies. The people they treat or most likely to be those poor or people without medical insurance. It probably happens more than we know. Maybe 500 or so people getting sick isn't enough to demand the attention of the CDC or other health officials. Who monitors these people?

[Lazy Bastard]

Man, that's pretty big news, in my book. What I don't understand, though, is this:

LOS ANGELES — The city of Las Vegas has shut down a clinic

Why is this news in LA?

[Astraea]

It's big news in LA because they can commute to Los Vegas rather easily. It may be only a five hour drive. All my CA amigos go to Vegas.

[Lazy Bastard]

So, "Watch out next time you go to Vegas; there are about 40,000 more STD-infected people."?

[Astraea]

lol, you would say that

[Lazy Bastard]

Heh, I dunno. I just always wonder why we get these news reports from cities where the news didn't actually happen. I see them all the time. I guess that city didn't have any decent news personnel at the moment.

[MIR]

Mostly becaus the Los Angeles Newspapers have a larger coverage in Los Vegas than the smaller local papers. The LA times is the New York Times of the West Coast. they are everywhere (even in my bedroom :O)

[Lazy Bastard]

Heh, ah.