Fourteen patients and workers who underwent hemodialysis at a hospital's hemodialysis unit in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, have been infected with hepatitis C.

Gyeongsangnam-do announced today (October 21) that it is conducting an in-depth epidemiological investigation and taking measures to prevent the spread, in cooperation with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), targeting the hospital's hemodialysis unit where the infections occurred and the infected individuals.

On September 14, Hospital A in Changwon registered two hepatitis C cases in the KDCA's integrated disease control and prevention information system.

Subsequently, on October 1, another hospital additionally registered one hepatitis C patient.

Health authorities confirmed that the hepatitis C patients reported by the two hospitals had received hemodialysis at Hospital A's hemodialysis unit, and subsequently conducted a complete-enumeration test on patients and workers who used Hospital A's hemodialysis unit since June of this year.

The complete-enumeration survey revealed that 14 out of 75 individuals—13 hemodialysis patients and one worker—were infected with hepatitis C.

The provincial government reported that most of the infected patients are asymptomatic, and no cases of severe complications have been identified yet.

The province and the KDCA are investigating whether there were risk factors for hepatitis C transmission during medical procedures by reviewing dialysis records, medical staff movement paths, medication usage logs, and CCTV footage at Hospital A's hemodialysis unit.

They are also supporting infected patients to ensure they receive appropriate treatment.

Hospital A is reportedly operating its hemodialysis unit in a manner that does not accept new hemodialysis patients.

Hepatitis C is a viral infectious disease transmitted through the blood of an infected person, and is not spread through routine daily contact such as sharing meals or shaking hands.

The province explained that with the recent development of effective oral antiviral drugs, early detection and treatment can achieve a cure rate of around 98% within a short period (8 to 12 weeks).

The province and the KDCA urged local hemodialysis medical institutions to strictly adhere to infection control guidelines to prevent blood-borne infectious diseases such as hepatitis C.

(Photo provided by Gyeongsangnam-do, Yonhap News)