26 patients contract hepatitis C in dialysis in Shaanxi

Two leaders at hospital in northwest China's Shaanxi Province have been sacked after 26 patients contracted hepatitis C during dialysis treatment.

The 26 people are patients with uremia and kidney disease. The youngest is 20 years old. They are all under observation and receiving treatment. The blood-borne virus was detected during routine checkups a week ago. Preliminary results of an investigation indicate that inadequate disinfection and malpractice are likely to be the cause

. The hospital has undergone thorough sterilization and seven new dialysis machines were brought in after the outbreak. The dialysis department has been running for 5 years. China reported 200,000 cases of hepatitis C last year, and 95 patients died.