A traveling hospital worker accused of stealing drugs and infecting patients with hepatitis C through contaminated syringes has pleaded not guilty to the charges in New Hampshire federal court.
David Kwiatkowski, whom prosecutors describe as a "serial infector," was indicted last week on multiple charges of tampering with a consumer product and illegally obtaining drugs.
He only said "yes" when asked in court Monday if he understood his rights.
Trial was set for the first week of February.
Until May, Kwiatkowski worked as a cardiac technologist at Exeter Hospital, where 32 patients were diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C he carries.
Before that, he worked in 18 hospitals in seven states. Patients in Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania have since been tested for hepatitis C.
Kwiatkowski is originally from Michigan.
The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) confirmed that he worked in at least six Michigan facilities from 2003-2007.
A negative hepatitis C test result at one hospital during his employment allows MDCH to exclude two hospitals from further examination as health officials said there was no risk posed to patients at these facilities.
Comments