Toronto Public Health this week warned approximately 2,500 patients of a gynecologist's office that they may have been exposed to a bloodborne infection due to improper cleaning of medical tools.
The municipal agency issued a letter to patients of Dr. Esther Park, who operates a gynecology clinic near Bloor and Dundas streets.
In a statement to TorontoToday, Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Herveen Sachdeva said there is a "a very small chance" of exposure for patients who visited Park's office between Oct. 10, 2020, and Oct. 10, 2024.
"The improper cleaning, disinfection or sterilization of medical instruments may result in a very small chance for bacteria and viruses being passed from one person to another," Sachdeva said.
The risk of possible infection includes hepatitis B and hepatitis C, which can be passed from unsanitized medical tools.
It is unclear specifically which procedures at-risk patients may have undergone.
Toronto Public Health shared news of the "very low risk" of infection as a precaution.
Any patient who may have been affected is asked to consult with their health-care provider for appropriate testing.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario previously investigated Park over the "care of a patient in her obstetrics and gynecology practice."
As a result of the investigation, Park agreed to restrict her practice to office-based gynecology.
The doctor also agreed to engage in professional education "in the differential diagnosis and management in the differential diagnosis and management, and medical record-keeping."
