MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – A sixth person is dead in connection with a Hepatitis B outbreak at a Wayne County assisted living facility.

A spokesperson for the N.C. Division of Public Health says the person was one of eight identified as part of an initial investigation in October.

Additional testing shows two additional residents have antibodies to Hepatitis B that show possible infection from the virus.  They were never diagnosed and have since recovered.

An updated version of the Division of Public Health’s investigation report is available on line at epi.state.nc.us/epi/gcdc/hepatitis.html

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MT. OLIVE, N.C.- State Health Dept. investigators says they believe they know what caused a Hepatitis B outbreak that killed five residents in an assisted living facility.  the Division of Public Health report says the outbreak at Glen Care assisted Living in Mt. Olive was most likely the result of unsafe blood glucose monitoring practices; something the facility strongly denies.

“The six years that we’ve been here, we’ve used the same system with the same staff and never been cited for improper technique,” said Anne Kornegay, Glen Care Vice President on Thursday.

The State Health Dept. investigation found glucometers stored together in a single drawer on the medication cart.  it also says they were not clearly labeled with residents’ names.  the report says a confidential interview with a medication technician indicated the glucometers and lancing devices were not routinely cleaned and disinfected between uses.  something epidemiologists say should never happen.

“In any circumstance, nobody should share glucose monitoring devices,” said Megan Davies, State Epidemiologist.  “not the meters, not the lancets, not the lancet holders.”

But Anne Kornegay, the Vice President of Glen Care assisted Living Facility, defended the staff on Thursday.

“I’m a no-nonsense nurse and have been for over 30 years,” said Kornegay.  “That’s the cream of the crop right there.  They’re passionate.”

During the investigation, Glen Care management brought in registered nurses to observe the medication technicians.  They say all of the med-techs used the right technique. 

“Those medical devices are meant for the individual for whom they’re prescribed,” said Davies.  “and sharing them even occasionally can put you at risk for blood-borne pathogens.”

The State says it cannot determine how the illness entered the facility in the first place, but Davies says the spread might have been prevented had the pens been store separately and clearly labeled.  the report says at the time of the state’s investigation, no Glen Care employees had completed a state-approved infection control course.  the State issued a plan of correction to glen care which outlines steps the staff must take to remedy the problem immediately.  Glen Care talked with us about the investigation Thursday, but would not comment on the report Friday.

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MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (AP) – State investigators say unsafe practices used in blood sugar monitoring led to a hepatitis outbreak that killed five people at a Wayne County nursing home.      in a report released Friday, the Division of Public Health says employees at GlenCare of Mount Olive may have used a single lancing device on multiple patients.      An employee told investigators that some testing equipment wasn’t routinely disinfected between uses.      Eight patients contracted Hepatitis B, and five have died. Hepatitis B is typically transmitted by exposure to blood or body fluids.      A woman who answered the phone at the facility Friday said Glen Care has no comment.      the report includes a list of recommendations, including hepatitis testing for all patients and safer blood monitoring practices.            (Copyright 2010 by the associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)— Previous Story —

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – the investigation continues at an assisted living facility where five residents have died from Hepatitis-B. 

It happened at Glen-Care assisted Living in Mount Olive.

Several questions remain in this investigation as local and state agencies have been looking for what caused the outbreak.

Glen-Care management says the first resident died from Hepatitis-B on August 30th.  

It wasn’t until mid-October when the health department notified staff the cause of death was Hepatitis-B.

Glen-Care management says a common thread among individuals involved in the outbreak were diabetic.

The Division of Health Service Regulation interviewed medical technicians at Glen-Care.

Investigators say five of the med-techs admitted to using the same blood sugar pen on several residents. 

Glen-Care management denies this accusation, saying all of their med-techs have proven to correctly perform this procedure. 

We are expecting the Department of Public Health to release their preliminary report this afternoon.

We’ll continue bringing you the latest as this story develops. 

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MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – An assisisted living facility is in jeopardy tonight after an outbreak of Hepatitis B left five residents dead.

It’s at the GlenCare assisted living facility in Mount Olive that the Division of Health Services reported the sharing of medical equipment between residents as a potential cause to the outbreak.

    Today officials with Glencare spoke out about their medical technicians and their practices.

“I go in the dinning room and look at the empty chairs of those that have passed on and it breaks my heart,” said Anne Kornegay, GlenCare Vice President.

It’s reaction from Glencare officials after the Division of Health Service Regulations notified them of troubling findings.

“We received a telephone conference call with the Division of Health Service Regulation informing us that we were in immediate jeopardy because five of five Medication Technicians told them during an interview that they had used the same pen on several residents,” said Glenn Kornegay, GlenCare President.

A call that spurred a controversy over the sharing of a medical device used to measure blood sugar levels and officials from Glencare hope to clear the water before the DHS release their findings.

“I look at this staff that have been loyal to their residents and they have been accused and I believe them when they tell me they have not done that,” said Anne Kornegay.

Medical Technicians at the GlenCare facility say they never admitted to using the same pen on multiple residents and initial investigations can’t prove that’s what caused the virus to spread.

Registered nurses called in to inspect the facility agree.

“I can tell you I surveyed this building under state capacity and had I seen a med tech use the same pen on two residents or more, I would have pulled her off the cart right then,” said Betty Merritt, registered nurse.

It’s the first glimpse at a potential factor in the outbreak of virus that claimed the lives of five people.

GlenCare technicians have signed a release asking that the names of those who admitted to sharing the pens be released.

No word yet on if the state will do that.

The state will be releasing its full report on Glencare in the coming days and of course we’ll be following the story when it does.

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MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – An assisted living facility in Mount Olive is facing controversy after seven reported cases of hepatitis B were discovered, five of which were fatal.

The Glencare assisted Living Facility held a press conference Thursday morning to shed light on accusations by DHS that five medical technicians admitted to using the same pins on multiple patents.

Those interviews done by DHS were confidential and no medical technicians at Glencare support DHS’ findings.

Officials at Glencare say the hepatitis outbreak could have come from a number of sources outside the facility.

“When people are interviewed they are often misquoted and I believe that’s what happened in this facility, I do not believe that this loving caring people shared the same pin on a patient,” said Anne Kornegay, Vice-President of Glencare.

Nine on your side will have more on this story tonight at 6.

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MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. - Two more residents at a Wayne County assisted living facility have tested positive for hepatitis. four people died in an apparent hepatitis outbreak at Glencare of Mount Olive.

The state department of Health and Human Services confirmed the results. Additional testing was done after the initial outbreak.

The total number of Glencare residents with lab confirmed hepatitis is now seven. one of the four people who died did not have a lab confirmed hepatitis diagnosis, but a representative with the Department of Health and Human Services says he had all the symptoms.

Health and Human Services is conducting an investigation into the facility and the apparent hepatitis outbreak.

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MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – four people at an assisted living center are dead and health officials say Hepatitis-B is to blame.

At least one other resident at the Glencare of Mount Olive home tested positive.

Now investigators are trying to figure out what caused the disease to spread.

They’ve tested all the residents and state officials are waiting to see if anyone else has the disease.

Health officials say it’s usually spread through contact with blood or body fluids like medical devices that are shared among patients.

The home says the only contact with blood is when they test blood sugar levels, but they say a different device is used on each patient. 

The owner of the facility says they are looking at their procedures to make sure there is no cross contamination or other risk factors.

Test results for the rest of the residents should be back by next week.