TPH warns of possible needle contamination at Scarborough health fair
Posted April 1, 2018 5:37 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto Public Health officials are asking anyone who attended a health fair in Scarborough last weekend to follow up with their health care provider due to possible needle contamination.
TPH says it received a complaint that the needle / lancet used for blood glucose testing conducted at the Vision Infinite Foundation health fair at Scarborough Village Recreation Centre on March 25 was not consistently changed between patients.
“While certain viruses carried in the blood, such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV can be passed through re-use of lancets, the chances of these viruses being passed are very low,” the agency said an email to CityNews. “As a precautionary measure, TPH recommended for those individuals to follow up with a health care provider.”
The city’s health agency says it called all those potentially affected as well as notifying them in writing. TPH did not give an exact number of how many people were at risk.
Beaches-East York MPP Arthur Potts and Scarborough-Guildwood MPP Mitzie Hunter both attended the event. Potts even tweeted a photo of himself being tested.
Anyone who attended the health fair and has questions can call Toronto Public Health at 416-338-8400 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, or 311 after business hours.
