Clinic Ordered to Close After Acute Hepatitis C Cluster Linked to Unsafe Injection Practices

A clinic in New Taipei City’s Banqiao District has been ordered to stop all operations after health authorities linked it to an acute hepatitis C cluster involving 11 patients. The Antai Songhe Clinic was also fined NT$300,000.

All 11 patients had a history of receiving injections at the clinic. Nine had viral nucleic-acid sequences with similarities ranging from 99.7% to 100%, a level of homology that authorities said strongly suggests a common infection source. The other two could not be compared because one had no remaining serum and the other tested negative by PCR.

The investigation began after a man in his 50s and a woman in her 70s from the same family were reported as acute hepatitis C cases. Both had repeatedly visited the clinic for nutritional injections. The woman’s 40-year-old daughter later tested positive after receiving the same treatment. Two other family members tested negative.

The 11 patients include seven men and four women aged from their 40s to their 70s. Their onset dates range from Jan. 29 to Aug. 18, 2026. Officials found one case in January, one in March, two in April, two in May, one in June and four in August. A review of 150 acute hepatitis C cases reported in New Taipei City during 2025 and 2026 found no evidence so far that 2025 cases had visited the clinic.

The Centers for Disease Control said the cluster most likely resulted from unsafe injection practices rather than direct transmission by medical staff. The virus may have contaminated needles, medicine vials or surrounding surfaces, allowing cross-infection between patients. Three doctors, one nurse and one administrative worker have been scheduled for testing. The nurse and administrator are being tested, while the three doctors have declined. Two of the 11 patients have not yet been contacted, but the others are in good condition and none has been hospitalized. Authorities are reviewing records back to July 1, 2025, based on the estimated incubation period, and may extend the review if earlier hidden cases emerge.

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The infection source should not be direct transmission by medical personnel, and is mainly related to the failure to implement safe injection practices.