More hepatitis C cases uncovered, linked to outbreak at Puyallup hospital

PUYALLUP, Wash. — The hepatitis C outbreak at Puyallup's Good Samaritan Hospital just got bigger, according to experts from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

New test results from the the federal Centers For Disease Control and Prevention have identified six new cases tied to the outbreak. All are linked to the same genetic source, health department leaders announced Thursday. That raises the total number of cases from two to eight. Three more cases labeled as "probable" are still under investigation, awaiting further testing.

The six new cases share another common feature with the first two, health department officials said: All the patients in question received intravenous injections from a nurse who no longer works at the hospital and has denied infecting patients.

The nurse, Cora Weberg, was arrested May 4 by Puyallup police on suspicion of second-degree assault and released from the Pierce County Jail a day later with no charges filed. Her nursing license was suspended by the state Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC).

In a subsequent public statement, Weberg said, "I never intentionally stuck anyone with a needle" and added that she did not believe she was infected with the virus. She admitted diverting injectable narcotics from the hospital to aid in failed suicide attempts.

Scroll down to continue reading

More news from KIRO 7

• Report: Undocumented mothers, separated from kids, being held at SeaTac
• More than 35 people arrested in major drug bust in Washington state
• Common toothpaste ingredient may promote gut inflammation, colon cancer
• New derailment lawsuit alleges Amtrak knew about "electrical system failure"
• Iconic Seattle motel sign changed to read "3 Cheers for Heroin"

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP

The nursing commission continues to investigate Weberg's conduct, said Jessica Baggett, who works in the state Department of Health's disease control and health care statistics division.

A separate state investigation into Good Samaritan's pharmacy by the state's Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission is also underway, said spokesman Kenny Coleman. Much like the nursing commission, the pharmacy commission investigates complaints and reports of misconduct. Further information about the pharmacy investigation won't be available until the process concludes, Coleman said.

A news conference about the test results held Thursday at the health department shifted at times to a discussion of Weberg's possible culpability.

Nigel Turner, communicable disease division director, said the test results show a genetic link among the eight patients while acknowledging that no such genetic link exists between the patients and Weberg, who has tested positive for exposure to hepatitis C but not the virus itself.

"That's right," Turner said in response to questions. "There are other scenarios. This is an ongoing investigation. We still have pending results coming in."

Bryan Hershman, a criminal defense attorney who represents Weberg, continues to argue that investigators haven't proven that she is the source of the exposure. He cites an April 19 memo sent to staffers at the state Nursing Commission at an earlier stage of the investigation when only two cases of hepatitis C had been confirmed.

In part, the memo states, "There is almost no chance to link (Weberg) with the patients except that she is the only nurse common to both patients."

Thursday, Turner reiterated the circumstantial link, calling Weberg "the only common provider" among the eight linked patients. He also said the precise source of the outbreak might never be identified.

"I'm not sure we'll ever know," he said. "This is something that can be spread in many ways."

Hepatitis C is a bloodborne virus that attacks the liver. Typically, it spreads through shared needles. Left untreated, it can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Feeling fine and showing no outward symptoms is no guarantee of being virus-free, according to health department experts. It's possible to contract and carry it without knowing. People born between 1945 and 1965 are five times more likely to have the virus.

Information from the CDC about prior hepatitis C outbreaks in other parts of the country illustrates the difficulty of identifying the sources of exposure. Between 2008 and 2017, CDC statistics list three outbreaks linked to "drug diversion" by health care providers infected with the virus.

One such case based in Utah led to federal charges against a nurse accused of injecting herself with narcotics before administering them to patients. The nurse has entered a plea of not guilty, and her trial is set for later this year.

Marcelene Edwards, spokeswoman for the MultiCare Health System, underscored the newest test results from Good Samaritan in a statement.

"We learned that it is very likely that samples from six of these patients are genetically matched to the two initial patients we identified earlier this year, with infections likely linked to care provided at Good Samaritan," she said. " These patients have been notified of the results, and we are taking responsibility for their treatment and working with them to establish personal care plans."

Additional cases linked to the outbreak could emerge in the coming days. Hospital leaders sent notices to about 2,800 people in the wake of the outbreak, urging them to seek testing, which is provided free of charge to those who were notified.

Edwards said Thursday that 1,663 patients have been tested. Roughly 1,100 untested patients remain, health department officials said. Some patients have not responded to the notice. The health department and the hospital continue to urge patients to seek testing.

"Anyone who received a letter from Good Samaritan about this situation and who has not already done so, should come in for testing. More information can be found at multicare.org/safety-alert," Edwards said. "We apologize to these patients who were infected with hepatitis C while in our facility. That should not have happened.

"The safety our patients is of paramount importance to our mission. As part of our efforts to notify, test and treat appropriate patients affected by this exposure, we are thoroughly reviewing the circumstances related to these exposures to ensure a safe environment for patients at all MultiCare facilities. "

As of Thursday, findings from the testing tracked by the health department show 43 hepatitis C cases unrelated to the outbreak, either because patients contracted the disease from another source or had been previously diagnosed. The health department is providing regular online updates to the test results at www.tpchd.org/hepcstats.

Multiple lawsuits tied to the outbreak have already been filed against the hospital and the MultiCare Health System, though the disease investigation is ongoing.

The News Tribune