Haemophiliacs infected with HIV, hepatitis C 'traced'

EXPERTS believe they have traced every haemophiliac infected with HIV or hepatitis C as a result of receiving contaminated blood products.

A look back programme launched at the end of June did not pick up any more infected haemophiliacs.

Of the 160 haemophiliacs who have been infected with HIV, 64 have died while of the 220 infected with hepatitis C, 20 have died.

All haemophiliacs are treated with a synthetic clotting agent introduced in 1997 to eliminate the infection risk from products made from blood donations.

Before the June programme began, experts believed the number of unidentified haemophiliacs who might have received infected products prior to 1992 would be "significantly" less than 10.

National haemophilia director at the National Centre for Hereditary Coagulation Disorders (NCHCD), Dr Barry White, said the latest campaign was the end of a long process that involved three previous targeted look back programmes, two optional national screening programmes and a long term testing programme Irish Haemophilia Society (IHS) member Brian O'Mahony said three helplines were opened during the week-long campaign.

The NCHCD received 49 telephone calls; the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) received 90 and the IHS received seven.

Of the 43 people who called the NCHCD, 34 had received blood transfusions and were referred onto the IBTS. It was later established that none of those who contacted the centre had received the clotting factor concentrates to treat their condition.