Patients of dentist with hepatitis B sought (ZT)

Xbfeng

Patients of dentist with hepatitis B sought
' ^( j" E! k# G4 aJodie Sinnema, edmontonjournal.com
/ ~: D. F: }* `Published: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
5 q3 O6 r5 F  N/ HEDMONTON — About 1,400 dental patients have potentially been exposed to hepatitis B after their Edmonton dentist tested positive for the virus.

, v' v3 U/ y! {$ nNurses started calling the patients today, advising them they can have free, voluntary testing for the virus that in a minority of cases can lead to cirrhosis or scarring of the liver, liver cancer or liver failure, all of which can be fatal.
8 t* c9 a3 O  l$ c8 p! g
  
Dr. Jonathan Skuba, president of the Alberta Dental Association, answers reporters' questions at a news conference Tuesday on the case of a dentist who has tested positive for hepatitis B.

The office of their dentist, 37-year-old Dr. Byron Wong, has been closed since February when Wong told the Alberta Dental Association and College he was infected.
7 F, b/ ~0 }1 r* p/ [  }# c( i
“The risk is very small,” said Dr. Gerry Predy, medical officer of health for Capital Health, explaining that one in 10,000 to one in 100,000 people were put at risk by Wong, who had been practising as a dentist since 2001. “The dentist has agreed to give out his name because he’s concerned about his patients and we just want to be sure that the public is aware this is a very unique, specific situation, not generally related to dental practice overall. … We don’t anticipate that this is something people should be overly concerned about because the risk is very small.”

Predy said children and most people between the ages of 10 and 28 are immune to hepatitis B, since the province has been vaccinating all Grade 5 students against the virus since the 1990s. Many older adults have also developed a natural immunity after fighting off the infection and building up antibodies.

7 k  \2 @) h( V  c  L( t: CUp to five per cent will become chronic and lifelong carriers of the disease, which can be transmitted from mother to infant during birth, through sexual contact and contact with infected sharp objects, such as dental equipment.
, F; k: k5 h3 k/ ~. j" c& s
0 l5 ~# z6 O$ ADr. Jonathan Skuba, president of the Alberta Dental Association and College, said Wong won’t return to dentistry until an expert review panel deems it safe. When or if that might happen isn’t known, since it depends on Wong’s personal, confidential circumstances.
6 V6 S- I8 y* `
“Throughout this entire process, Dr. Wong has been very co-operative and has acted in a professional manner,” Skuba said, adding that Wong has not been ill or experienced any symptoms of the virus such as nausea, jaundice or malaise. The dental college tests all dental students for hepatitis when they enter university, but doesn’t require annual blood tests for working dentists. However, any infection must be immediately reported to the regulatory body.
- L; n; E: C1 \7 G
7 L" m: W4 L, ^& KSkuba said Wong wanted his name public so his former patients can be tested as a precaution.
) M4 D. ?  v! w$ T* Q6 Y
9 D8 k- z( e0 o“This further demonstrates Dr. Wong’s professionalism and his utmost commitment to his patients,” Skuba said.

3 j* Q1 k7 x7 P  f5 tPredy said it could take up to two months to contact all of Wong’s patients. He said people should wait for a call, but phone Capital Health Link at 408-5465 if they have concerns.
$ K: V  b/ r* f& G1 o% i
jsinnema@thejournal.canwest.com

老马

http://www.edmontonchina.ca/view ... &extra=page%3D1

Xbfeng

华人牙医的乙肝化验呈阳性

4 e8 z' e! a; J: B. |5 R今天（周二）公共卫生署说，他们正在寻找1,400名病人，因为给这些病人看病的牙医其乙肝化验结果呈阳性
4 Z6 G0 a3 o2 D! I8 CAlberta牙医协会与牙医学院主席，Jonathan Skuba博士今天下午在新闻发布会上告诉记者，37岁的牙医，Byron Wong，眼目前已经自动停止了他的实习，正主动配合卫生当局确保能找到所有这些病人。
0 ]; |5 D, k2 W4 a$ ^( A, J; uSkuba说，今年二月，当Wong被告知自己的乙肝化验呈阳性时，他立刻通知了牙医学院
' A' A6 g! w8 Y1 L& z  f( m自从2001年，Wong一直在Edmonton实习。
) Q; [& A- G; M' U' ~1 {
目前看来，病人被传染的可能性很小。卫生署医药官员，Gerry Predy博士在今天的新闻发布会上说。

. a( B, K! ^: o) [9 i/ M“我们对该牙医传染乙肝病毒的危险性进行了风险分析，结果显示，传染的可能性非常小。我们估计其可能性大约在万分之一到十万分之一，可能接近十万分之一。
Predy说，自从九十年代中期以来，乙肝预防一直是本省各学校免疫工程的一部分，所以20岁以下人群因该不至于被传染。
由于可能性如此之小，官方甚至曾辩论是否有必要发布一个“公开警告”，但是，最终他们认为应该将情况告知大众。

. m6 c0 l' `  c& j- Z3 d4 p近期，首都卫生署将开始接触Wong医生的1400个病人，对他们进行乙肝化验，这需要花费几个月的时间。

过路客

原帖由 Xbfeng 于 2008-6-17 20:02 发表
"Throughout this entire process, Dr. Wong has been very co-operative and has acted in a professional manner,” Skuba said, adding that Wong has not been ill or experienced any symptoms of the virus such as nausea, jaundice or malaise. .

& f% m- L" |7 L7 A- ]有一点不明白：
' v4 G" J" N' ^5 X' t6 j2 E既然Skuba说 Dr. Wong 没有任何生病症状，那Dr. Wong 为什么会想起去做乙肝化验呢？
3 |0 @7 R& T  L- h- V* m
[ 本帖最后由 过路客 于 2008-6-21 21:47 编辑 ]

Xbfeng

He might have something wrong in February.