VA patients exposed to HIV, hepatitis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Every hospital in the country is on alert after thousands of patients have been put at risk of HIV and hepatitis from unsterilized equipment used during surgery.

It happened at three Veterans Affairs hospitals, but there's growing concern it could happen at any hospital in the country.

Veterans Affairs confirms 16 cases of hepatitis B or C infections -- all tested positive after they were exposed to contaminated colonoscopy equipment.

Read more about the VA's investigation into the unsanitary equipment.

Thousands of veterans have been warned to get blood tests after VA facilities in Miami, Florida, Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Augusta, Georgia failed to properly sterilize equipment between treatments.

Veteran Gregory McClure has had five colonoscopies.

"To have colon cancer, that I can handle. But to be infected by somebody else’s stuff, no, no, no," said McClure.

Indiana Congressman Steve Buyer, the ranking member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, is leading the investigation.

While it's unclear if all were infected through the unsterilized equipment, Buyer said "The presumption should always be in favor of the veteran."

Buyer added that if the veteran didn't know they had the disease and now they do, the VA is responsible.

Test results can take up to two weeks.

Buyer said he is upset the VA was not forthcoming about the number of at-risk veterans. He believes the number of infected will grow.

Meanwhile, every hospital in the country is going on alert. Letters from Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control are being sent, telling private hospitals to examine their own colonoscopy procedures.

Buyer said if it can happen within the VA, it can happen anywhere -- and to anyone.

Hundreds of VA patients were already HIV positive when they had the colonoscopy performed in Miami, meaning contaminated fluids could have been transferred from patient-to-patient.

None of the potential infections happened at Roudebush -- the VA hospital in Indianapolis. However, veterans in Indiana have called 24-Hour News 8 reporting that they had the procedure at one of the VA hospitals that did not sterilize. They are now being tested and are awaiting test results.