Thousands of New Jersey Doctor’s Cancer Patients Advised to Get Hepatitis B Tests

Nearly 3,000 New Jersey cancer patients who received treatments from the same doctor have been advised to get tested for hepatitis B after at least five of the doctor’s patients turned up with the highly-contagious blood infection.

Officials in Ocean County, N.J. said patients of Dr. Parvez Dara, who has offices in Toms River and Manchester on the Jersey Shore, have turned up positive for hepatitis B. After a few initial reports of infection among the doctor’s patients were received, state health officials last month sent a letter to all of Dara’s patients since 2002, warning them of possible contamination with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

It is unclear how the disease was spread by Dara, who faces suspension of his medical license for the outbreak and other alleged violations of state health codes, officials said. A hearing on Dara’s license status is set for this week.

In the meantime, Dara is performing only patient consultations, not procedures, according to his lawyer. Dara treats patients with blood disorders and cancer, including patients who receive chemotherapy there.

Dara’s attorney said there is no proof that patients were infected at the doctor’s office, since all five patients who tested positive were also treated at the same local hospital. However, health officials have said they are focusing on Dara’s office after ruling out the hospital as a possible source of the infection.

Officials said the only location common to all the infected patients is Dara’s office.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection which may be transmitted through exposure to infected blood, most often during sexual contact or infected needles.

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