Health Department Reports 4 New Patients Of Tulsa Dentist Positive For Hepatitis C

The Tulsa Health Department said Thursday four more individuals have tested positive for hepatitis C, in the public health response to allegations of "unsafe and unsanitary" practices in the offices of dentist Dr. Scott Harrington.

The Tulsa lab has processed screenings for 3,740 individuals, and have so far reported 69 total positive cases of hepatitis C, four cases of hepatitis B, and fewer than three cases of HIV.

Those who tested positive will be contacted and counseled by the health department.

Each individual positive case will be investigated by the health department to determine where the disease was contracted. Health officials say it's likely some of the positive screening tests had nothing to do with Dr. Harrington's office.

The state health department reported earlier this week that the cost of just the screenings in various county health departments was approaching $700,000.