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The possibility of an infection transmitted
through acupuncture first came to the attention of Toronto
Public Health (TPH) in October 2002. Later that fall, TPH
in co-operation with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term
Care and other Greater Toronto public health units, began
investigating the possibility that acupuncture needles at
the Ruth Pettle Wellness Centre were spreading disease.
TPH ultimately expanded their investigation
to include both the Ruth Pettle Wellness Centre and Sandra
Testaguzza's apartment on Islington Avenue and expanded
the time
period to include patients from January 1, 2000 to December
16, 2002.
TPH, in co-operation with other Ontario
health units, sent notices to 327 people advising them of
their potential risk of exposure to blood borne diseases
through acupuncture received during 2000, 2001 and 2002. The
letter also advised these individuals to follow up with
their family physician to determine their need for hepatitis
B, C and HIV testing. These individuals were not obligated
to report back to their local public health unit on their
decision regarding testing nor were they required to report
the test results to their local health unit (although all
three of these agents are reportable in Ontario and
therefore any positive test results would be reported to
public health either through the physician or the
laboratory). Accordingly, the exact number of people who
have been tested for Hepatitis B, C or HIV is not known.
Preliminary test results from 64 individuals suggest that
hepatitis B, C or HIV were not spread at the clinics. No
infection other than M. abscessus relating to this
acupuncture clinic has been reported to public health.
TPH has received reports of 32 cases of Mycobacterium
abscessus. Of these 32, 7 were laboratory confirmed through
isolation of M. abscessus from a client's biopsy, 17 were
probable cases (physician diagnosed the infection but the
diagnosis was not verified through laboratory isolation of
M. abscesses) and the remaining 8 cases were classified as
suspect cases (client reported experiencing symptoms but the
diagnosis was not confirmed by a physician).
The TPH investigation included all of the clients who
attended the Testaguzza acupuncture clinics since she opened
her practice in 2000.
The TPH investigation is now complete.
For more information you can call Toronto
Public Health, Control of Infectious Disease Program, North
Office at 416-338-8400 and speak to Maijolyn Pritchard,
Manager or a communicable disease investigator.
Toronto Public
Health Press Release
The Toronto Public Health can be found on the
web at
www.city.toronto.on.ca/health
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