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Two Orillia dental clinic patients have tested positive for Hepatitis C (UPDATE: Dr. Philip responds to 'irresponsible' statement)

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit urges patients to get testing; 'We are a little more concerned (today) than we were in February'
dental care dentist teethshutterstock_373410019 2016
File photo

UPDATE: June 19, 4:45 p.m.

The following statement from Joe Philip was issued in response to today's media release from the SMDHU:
"The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, which is already subject to a $10-million dollar lawsuit over their mishandling of the unwarranted investigation into Dr. Joe Philip’s dental practice has issued another irresponsible statement today.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit does not, and has never had, access to the patient list for the dental practice, making it impossible for them to verify whether the individuals referenced are even, in fact, patients of Dr. Philip or received treatment at the clinic.

Further, the health unit has made no further requests of the clinic relating to accessing the list or any attempt to confirm that the individuals they’ve referenced did actually receive treatment at the clinic.

This latest claim from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is deeply irresponsible.

For perspective, an estimated 250,000 Canadians have Hepatitis C, and the Canadian Liver Foundation estimates 44% of those infected are not aware of their status.

It is deeply irresponsible for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit to suggest that dental work is in any way related to the Hepatitis C status of anyone when they have no reason to believe there is any correlation between a health status and dental work.

Dr. Philip has always met or exceeded the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario’s protocols for sterilization and continues to do so. Dr. Philip has never been subject to a professional misconduct finding and none of his patients have ever been confirmed to have contracted a transmittable disease as a result of care, which is in keeping with the high degree of skill and care Dr. Philip provides.

Dr. Philip’s practice remains open and continues to provide important care to patients, as even the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirms his practice is operating safely to do so."

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UPDATE: June 19, 4:20 p.m.

Health unit officials provided an update, noting that one of the patients who tested positive for Hepatitis C was a child. 

While no specific information about the patients can be provided, Dr. Colin Lee felt it was important to confirm one of the patients was a child as the clinic in question specializes in pediatric dentistry.

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ORIGINAL STORY:
Two people who received dental care at the Orillia clinic previously known as Joe Philip and Associates have tested positive for Hepatitis C.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) issued a media release today, announcing the two cases and urged patients to consider testing.

“While the risk remains low, we as a health unit are a little more concerned (today) than we were in February given that we have these two Hepatitis C cases,” Colin Lee, the SMDHU’s associate medical officer of health, told OrilliaMatters Tuesday.

Lee said there is no way to definitively conclude the two people became infected as a result of visits to Dr. Philip’s Wyandotte Street practice.

“Did they get this from the clinic? That’s the question likely on everyone’s mind,” said Lee. “We do not know for sure. We do not have enough information or evidence at this time … (to determine) where their exposure was from.”

Lee said, typically, people are susceptible to Hepatitis C if they are drug users, if they share needles, if they received blood products before 1992 or if their mother was infected with the virus. In addition to those primary methods, Lee noted people can get Hepatitis C if they received dental or medical care in an environment in which the instruments were not cleaned properly.

“What we know is they went for testing as result of our recommending in February and they tested positive,” said Lee. “And, they tested positively unexpectedly in the sense (that they) only went for testing due to this potential risk of infection.”

As a result, the SMDHU issued a plea Tuesday for patients to consider getting tested. That is what the health unit first did last February, following an inspection of the Orillia clinic that was prompted by a complaint from the public. Lee said there is no reason for those who have already been tested to get re-tested.

“In late December, we received some information from a member of the public that caused us some concern about cleaning and sterilization practices at that clinic,” Lee told OrilliaMatters in February. “As a result, we did an inspection of that clinic which uncovered deficiencies” that may have put patients at risk of contracting hepatitis and HIV.

As a result of that, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) also opened an investigation.

In April, Philip filed a $10 million lawsuit against the health unit due to what he called the “groundless and unprecedented attack on the reputation of (his) practice.”

Lee, who declined to comment on that lawsuit, defended the health unit’s decision to issue another plea for testing.

“The reason for us moving forward with an update to the public is there may still be people who haven’t had a chance to discuss (testing) with a health-care professional or opted not to (because the risk was so low),” said Lee. “This may aid them in making a decision.”

Lee said there is no way to know how many of the clinic’s patients have been tested. He said, on average, about 1% of Canadians have Hepatitis C. In 20 to 30% of cases, the disease disappears on its own. About 70% of those who have Hepatitis C will “carry the virus in their blood for the rest of their life unless they know they have it. If so, they can get treated and take medication” and there is a cure rate of about 90%. He said “a small percentage can have chronic Hepatitis C, which could be fatal or lead to liver cancer or the need for liver transplant.”

Lee said the health unit had hoped there would be no positive test results.

“As tests come in, our investigation will evolve,” Lee said. “If we get more positive tests … the picture will get a little fuller.”

He said the investigation is ongoing and “will remain open for the foreseeable future.” He said the health unit will provide further updates if and when they are merited.

For more information about this issue, call the health unit, 705-721-7520 or 1- 877-721-7520, extension 5828 or check the health unit website at www.smdhu.org/ipac.