A nurse who may have been the source of a hepatitis C outbreak among patients at a Washington state hospital was charged on Sep. 1 after a five-year investigation.
In April 2018, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup acknowledged an outbreak of hepatitis C among patients and recommended 2,762 patients undergo testing for the infection.
In April 2019, Cora Weberg, a former nurse at the hospital, admitted to diverting fentanyl and hydromorphone. She said she would administer the injectable narcotics to patients and often take the remainder home for her own use. The CDC said she likely contracted the virus through this method by using leftover narcotics injected into a patient with chronic hepatitis C infection.
"It is possible that nurse A acquired the virus from the patient with chronic HCV infection during the November 8 visit and was infectious during November 22 to December 26, 2017, during which time at least 12 patients that she treated became infected," the agency said in an April 2019 report.
On Sep. 1, 2023, a court document charged Ms. Weberg with one count of tampering with consumer products. Her arraignment and plea hearing were scheduled for Sep. 5, and she pleaded guilty. Her sentencing was set for November 30.