Class-action lawsuit launched on behalf of patients affected by needle re-use

Tony Merchant of the Merchant Law Group says it would be wrong to assume that no one has become sick by the reuse of syringes. "The problem with these blood-carried diseases is you could have them for a long time and not know that you have them," said Merchant.

The Winnipeg Regional Health authority became the latest health region to investigate syringe reuse after it announced earlier this week that 17 patients may have been exposed to blood-borne infections while having their blood-sugar levels tested.

Health officials say they are looking into how a nurse at a Winnipeg clinic improperly reused a blood sampling needle for over a year after getting the single-use device from an industry representative.

While the needle was changed with each use, the cap that touches the patient's skin was only cleaned with alcohol before being reused.

More than 1,000 patients in Alberta, meanwhile, have been offered testing for hepatitis and HIV after it was announced last month that syringes were reused at a health clinic in High Prairie, 260 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

Saskatchewan is also investigating the reuse of single-use syringes in Lloydminster, Prince Albert, Weyburn, Swift Current and Yorkton.

In the Alberta and Saskatchewan cases, the needle and syringe were used to inject medication into an intravenous bag, not directly into the patients' bodies.

Manitoba Health Minister Teresa Oswald has said she has asked health authorities to review how they use single-use devices in the wake of these concerns.

The Merchant Law Group is hoping people who may have been impacted will register at its website.