THE Blood Transfusion Service Board has confirmed a 1985 blood transfusion as the likely source of HIV infection in a healthcare worker. This is the first case in Ireland of HIV infection from a routine blood transfusion.
Following confirmation of the diagnosis, 13 patients of St Luke's General Hospital, Kilkenny, where she worked, have been contacted about their possible exposure to the HIV virus.
The woman was diagnosed with the virus while on holiday abroad, where she became ill. After an examination of her medical history, the BTSB acknowledged the blood transfusion, received for a minor medical condition in the summer of 1985, as the likely source of the infection.
Soon after the diagnosis the South Eastern Health Board was informed by the person's GP of the positive test. She has not been at work since the diagnosis.
The healthcare worker is not a doctor and did not work in the hospital operating theatre, according to the SEHB, which added the person was present in "a small number of exposure prone procedures, all of which are in the low risk category".
Since learning of the diagnosis last Friday, the board has identified 13 patients who have been "possibly exposed to low medical risk" through contact with the person. The patients have been informed of the disclosure by their doctors.
The SEHB stressed that apart from one case involving a dentist, international experience had not documented any incidences of HIV positive healthcare staff infecting their patients. "It is imperative therefore that the general public and former patients should not become anxious about this matter as this is no basis for concern," it said in a statement.
It was informing the public fully of the Kilkenny case despite the "insignificant" risk, because inaccurate rumours might unjustifiably harm the hospital's reputation.
A spokeswoman praised the "courage, concern and total professionalism" of the care worker for making the diagnosis known. The precise occupation and other details were being withheld to protect the person's confidentiality and "to ensure openness" from other staff who found themselves in a similar position.
The BTSB said that after routine screening for HIV was introduced in 1985, 16 HIV positive donors were identified who had also given blood before that date.
The recipients of blood products from nine of these donors have been traced by the BTSB and are negative. Thirty one blood products from the remaining infected donors are untraced.
However, 15 of these were issued between 1977 and 1981 when HIV made its appearance on the health scene. These are not thought to represent a risk.
The statement says despatch records are not available for 16 issues of suspect blood product prior to 1985 and so they cannot be traced through its "lookback" procedure for HIV introduced in 1989.
"A special form of lookback, developed from the experience gained from the hepatitis C lookback, using hospital records, was devised and is continuing," according to the statement.
Of the 16, it is thought likely that about two thirds will have died from the condition which necessitated the blood transfusion in the first place.
As the maximum incubation period for the HIV virus is between 10 and 12 years, it is likely that anyone who received contaminated blood prior to 1985 would have shown symptoms by now.
Some hundreds of haemophiliacs were found to be infected with HIV in the late 1980s by a blood product used to treat their condition, some of which contained infected blood before screening for HIV was introduced. They have since received compensation from the Government.
The SEHB said anybody concerned about the Kilkenny case could contact the board's freephone line at: 1800 300 655.