P.E.I. podiatry clinic patients could have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis over 2 years

The Chief Public Health Office (CPHO) in Prince Edward Island is warning patients of a Charlottetown podiatry clinic they could have been infected with HIV or hepatitis over two years.

According to a news release from the CPHO, Johnson Podiatry at 142 Longworth Avenue experienced an infection control breach from Jan. 1, 2022, to April 8, 2024.

“Although the issues have been corrected, clients may have undergone procedures in which equipment was improperly cleaned and/or disinfected/sterilized and/or re-used,” the release reads. “While the risk is very low, these types of breaks in infection prevention and control may result in exposures to Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).”

The release says clients of the clinic should be tested if they received:

• injections into the skin of any kind
• treatment of an ulcer
• corn or callus-removal surgery
• treatment for an ingrown nail
• any procedure that broke or cut into the skin or caused blood to appear

“The CPHO wants to emphasize that the risk is very low, but because individuals can have these infections and not have any symptoms, testing is recommended for these three infections,” the release says.

Health PEI will offer blood collection clinics for tests at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital from 7:50 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, and from 7:20 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.

For more Prince Edward Island news visit our dedicated provincial page.