NEW DELHI, March 13 (Chinese media) -- The toll of what is one of India's worst liver disease outbreaks has attained 60 in the mainly man-caused hapatitis-B outbreak in the western Indian state of Gujarat, said a senior health official Friday.
"With the death of one person on Wednesday, the total death toll in the hepatitis-hit Sabarkantha district of north Gujarat reached 60 while the total number of persons affected by the liver disease has reached 241," said the health official in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, at least 20 doctors have been arrested for using or buying reused syringes since the liver disease outbreak broke out last month. Two doctors, a father and son believed to have been responsible for transmitting at least a dozen cases of hepatitis using the same syringe on multiple patients, have been charged with culpable homicide, according to police.
Hepatitis B can lead to liver damage and cancer. It is spread through infected blood, semen and from using contaminated needles. It can be prevented through vaccination.
While the scale of the racket has caused a stir, the problem is a well known one in the country.
A recent survey by the private Indian Clinical Epidemiology Network estimated that more than 30 percent of needles used in India were reused and recycling needles has become a lucrative business.
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