The question is, why did it take so long for public health to notify and shut down clinics with major breaches in universal/standard procedures? Why did it take 40,000 people to wake up this country to just how wide spread Hepatitis C is?

In 2002 through 2006, HCVets.com lobbied congress, specifically the FDA, to bring to their attention the following info... Sept 1999, Sterilants and Disinfectants Applied and Environmental Microbiology, p. 4255-4260, Vol. 65, Hepatitis C Survives Treatment with Commercial Sterilants and Disinfectants. We informed the FDA that the CDC was not warning public health or anyone to new procedures needed to kill, specifically the Hepatitis C virus. But, processing plants for "reused" not "reusable," single use medical device, still sprang up VOID any regulation.

The FDA finally got the message when the Veterans Affairs (VA) - June 2, 2006 MILWAUKEE - More than 22,000 veterans who underwent prostate biopsies at veterans' hospitals across the country are being warned that improperly sterilized equipment may have exposed them to deadly viruses...inadequacies with the biopsy cleaning procedure at 21 medical centers in 18 states, plus Puerto Rico.

FDA Public Health Notification filed June 19, 2006 Prostate biopsy between 1989 and 2003 : Reprocessing of Reusable Ultrasound Transducer Assemblies Used for Biopsy Procedures

But it took 8 months, February 7, 2007 Prostate biopsy between 1989 and 2003 FDA News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE P07-14 Media Inquiries: FDA Press Office, 301-827-6242 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA- Custom Ultrasonics Signs Consent Decree- Company agrees to stop manufacturing devices that wash and disinfect endoscopes until it corrects problems...

So, Congress knew, the CDC knew, the FDA knew... and you thought FEMA was bad:(
Are you upset about this, as should be?, Then tell your congressman we need a "general awarness" campaign, TODAY! Not the bill they're working on now that only addresses HIV transmission. Hepatitis C is 100 times more infectious and harder to kill, but these fact are drowned out by CDC speical interest, that want the funding:( other tragady!

Hearts and prayers go out to all worried over this totally avoidable ice berg.

For more info on Hep C transmission http://www.hcvets.com/data/transmission_...