Child tests positive for Hepatitis C after receiving treatment at Orillia dental office, health unit says

A child has tested positive for Hepatitis C after receiving treatment at an Orillia dental office, the health unit says.

In a letter to the editor sent out by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) on June 22, the health unit confirmed a child is one of two individuals who tested positive for Hepatitis C after receiving dental care at Joe Philip and Associates dental office between Jan. 1, 2012 and Dec. 18, 2017.

READ MORE: Orillia dentist defends his practice after health unit issues hepatitis C warning

SMDHU first made a recommendation that patients be tested for Hepatitis and HIV back in February after an investigation by the Public Health Unit revealed patients who attended the clinic between the listed dates may have been exposed to dental instruments that were not cleaned and sterilized properly.

WATCH: Should Ontario dental clinics be subject to regular inspections?

According to SMDHU, improper cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of medical and dental instruments can spread infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV to patients. While the health unit says the risk of transmission is low, it is not zero.

After the original recommendation for testing was made, the health unit received a report that two individuals tested positive for Hepatitis C.

READ MORE: Ontario family warns others: Their regular dental visit resulted in HIV tests

The health unit has now confirmed that one of those affected is a child. According to SMDHU, the child’s mother verified that the child received dental treatment at the clinic during the period of concern. After the child tested positive for Hepatitis C, the mother was subsequently tested, however, she tested negative.

“The Canadian Pediatric Society has stated that in Canada, almost all childhood cases of hepatitis C are transmitted from the mother to child during pregnancy and at birth. However, the mother’s negative test for hepatitis C indicates that the child did not contract hepatitis C during pregnancy or at birth,” the letter from Dr. Colin Lee, associate medical officer of health at the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, reads.

READ MORE: Patients of Orillia dental clinic urged to get tested after local health warning

Philip has since defended his practice. In a statement, Philip says the sterilization procedures at his clinic met or exceeded the requirements by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, and said the claims made by the health unit were “deeply irresponsible.”

However, the health unit continues to recommend anyone who received treatment between the noted dates be tested by their health-care provider.