A hepatitis C cluster has been confirmed at a clinic in the Banqiao district of New Taipei City. The CDC said the cluster was connected to the practice.

Hepatitis C is a bloodborne viral infection of the liver. Where clusters occur in medical settings, reuse of needles or instruments, or failures in sterilisation procedure, are frequently identified as causes.

The clinic's responsible physician is reported to have said the matter could not be regarded as the main cause of infection. Local residents were also quoted as saying concerns had been raised about the clinic before.

Compensation questions follow in law. Taiwanese lawyers said that if a medical institution is found to have failed in its infection control duty, joint liability would be hard to avoid, and advised patients to secure their treatment records and test results.

Detected early, hepatitis C has a high cure rate with antiviral drugs. Left untreated it can progress to fibrosis and liver cancer, so testing is advised for anyone with possible exposure.

Those who received procedures at the clinic should check whether they fall within the testing group. Local health authorities announcing the scope of testing and the process for contacting patients is the standard response.

The case has renewed attention on infection control inspections at medical facilities. The cause cannot be settled before the investigation concludes; what is established is the existence of the cluster and the authorities' confirmation of a link.