Biological Hazard - Singapore, Capital City, Singapore [Singapore General Hospital] : Hepatitis C Outbreak

Fifth death linked to Hepatitis C outbreak at SGH

A medical review committee chaired by an external senior hepatologist has found that a hepatitis C infection could not be ruled out as a contributing factor to the death of a fifth patient following a viral outbreak of hepatitis C at the Singapore General Hospital, local media reported on Monday.

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Biological Hazard

Singapore

Capital City, Singapore [Singapore General Hospital]

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Biological Hazard in Singapore on Tuesday, 20 October, 2015 at 05:07 (05:07 AM) UTC.

Description A medical review committee chaired by an external senior hepatologist has found that a hepatitis C infection could not be ruled out as a contributing factor to the death of a fifth patient following a viral outbreak of hepatitis C at the Singapore General Hospital, local media reported on Monday. The hospital had revealed the viral outbreak in its renal wards earlier this month, saying that four of the eight deaths out of the 22 affected patients had been linked to the viral infection. A fifth death had been under investigation then, and may now also be linked to the hepatitis C infection. "The committee concluded that the patient passed away from end-stage renal disease and pneumonia. While the death was not caused directly by hepatitis C virus, the committee could not rule out the possibility that hepatitis C virus infection could have been a contributing factor," TODAYonline reported SGH Medical Board chairman Professor Fong Kok Yong saying. Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong said on Saturday that international experts will be invited to advise the Independent Review Committee investigating the outbreak, so as to ensure that the review is thoroughly done. "The Committee will also look at the processes in both SGH and the Ministry of Health to identify whether there are any gaps and areas that we can improve upon so that we can strengthen our system," Mr Gan told The Straits Times. The hospital had previously contacted almost 1,000 people for hepatitis C screenings. 484 patients and 294 hospital employees have tested negative. The test results for 88 other cases are still pending. More tests will be done as the hospital schedules appointments for more patients, as well as for hospital staff currently on overseas leave. Biohazard name: Hepatitis C (outbreak) Biohazard level: 3/4 High Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level. Symptoms:   Status: confirmed

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Hepatitis C could have contributed to death of 5th patient, says SGH

TODAY file photo

 

Medical review committee could not rule out hep C infection as a contributing factor in patient’s death

Published: 10:33 PM, October 19, 2015

Updated: 1:29 AM, October 20, 2015

 

SINGAPORE — Hepatitis C virus infection could have been a contributing factor in the death of a fifth patient affected by the outbreak at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
In a update today (Oct 19), the hospital said that the medical review committee chaired by an external senior hepatologist has completed its investigation and found that the patient died from end-stage renal disease and pneumonia but hepatitis C infection could not be ruled out as a contributing factor in the death.

When it broke the news of the outbreak on Oct 6, SGH had said four of the eight deaths among the 22 patients affected are possibly linked to hepatitis C infection. The hospital had also said a fifth death was under review then. Its update today refers to this patient.

Professor Fong Kok Yong, chairman of SGH’s Medical Board, said: “The committee concluded that the patient passed away from end-stage renal disease and pneumonia. While the death was not caused directly by hepatitis C virus, the committee could not rule out the possibility that hepatitis C virus infection could have been a contributing factor.”

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Hepatitis C treatment cures over 90 percent of patients who also have cirrhosis

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Hepatitis C treatment cures over 90 percent of patients who also have cirrhosis

Date:

April 12, 2014

Source:

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Summary:

Twelve weeks of an investigational oral therapy cured hepatitis C infection in more than 90 percent of patients with liver cirrhosis and was well tolerated by these patients, according to a new study.

Twelve weeks of an investigational oral therapy cured hepatitis C infection in more than 90 percent of patients with liver cirrhosis and was well tolerated by these patients, according to an international study that included researchers from UT Medicine San Antonio and the Texas Liver Institute. Historically, hepatitis C cure rates in patients with cirrhosis (liver scarring) have been lower than 50 percent and the treatment was not safe for many of these patients.

Hepatitis C virus is the No. 1 driver of cirrhosis, liver transplants and liver cancer in the United States, noted Fred Poordad, M.D., lead author on the study, which was released Saturday by The New England Journal of Medicine in conjunction with Dr. Poordad's presentation of the data at the International Liver Congress in London. UT Medicine is the clinical practice of the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where Dr. Poordad is a professor of medicine. He is vice president of the Texas Liver Institute in San Antonio.
Interferon previously was the only agent to show effectiveness against hepatitis C, but patients often relapsed and the therapy caused multiple side effects. The new regimen is interferon-free and consists of several agents -- ABT-450/ritonavir, ombitasvir, dasabuvir and ribavirin. Twelve weeks after the last dose, no hepatitis C virus was detected in the bloodstream of 91.8 percent of patients who took the pills for 12 weeks. Among patients treated for 24 weeks, 95.9 percent were virus-free 12 weeks after the end of therapy.

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