Geneva – Authorities in Switzerland are investigating whether an acupuncturist intentionally infected at least 15 people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, an official said Thursday.
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The case shocked Switzerland when it came to light earlier this week, after Swiss tabloid Blick reported that authorities had kept silent on the allegations since first receiving a complaint five years ago.
Investigating magistrate Hermann Fleischhackl said a probe was launched after one alleged victim filed a criminal complaint in early 2005.
So far, 19 people with HIV have been found to have had contact with the unidentified acupuncturist, he said.
“Fifteen believe their infection may have something to do with the accused,” Fleischhackl told The Associated Press. “Four people have no explanation for their infection or at least aren’t linking it to the accused.”
The infections are believed to have taken place between 2001 and 2005, authorities said.
HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood, semen or breast milk, and it is unclear how the victims were infected with the virus. Several Swiss newspapers have reported that some of the victims claim to have been injected with infected blood.
Fleischhackl declined to comment on the reports, saying the cause of the infection was part of the ongoing investigation.
The magistrate said he will decide by next year whether to recommend the man be formally charged with multiple cases of intentionally spreading a human disease and causing serious bodily harm. The offenses carry maximum penalties of five and 10 years respectively.
5 and 10 years that’s all? Rubashkin gets life? the justice system in one of those countrys sucks.
5-10 for being convicted of something like that????????? Isnt this like murder in some way?
Plenty of frum Yidden go to the acupuncturist, so AIDS can happen to them too.
I would hope they mean at least 5-10 years PER CASE.
One is supposed to use disposable needles for acupuncture if you are too lazy to sterilize them
HIV does not survive outside the body more than 10 minutes, especially in hot environment. The HIV virus is very delicate and needs a host for survival. Unless the person was pricking his own body and then immediately injecting the virus into his patients, “infected” needles have about 1% of transmitting a living virus.
HIV today is considered a chronic condition and medical science no long feels comfortable with the term infectious disease, because treatment (which is free to most people in all parts of the world, including the USA) with anti-viral medications enable one to live a normal and healthy life, while reducing the transmission rate by well over 98% by conservative estimates. its simple, you reduce the active virus and there is nothing to transmit to another. which is the reason that in Europe they have recently studied over 5000 cases of male positive partner impregnation of a negative female partner had NO incidents of transmission to mother or child. now transmission from positive female to male has about 2% transmission rate to the father (most likely because of hormonal differences that leave small gaps in effectiveness), a very minor risk of transmission to the child if using ARV therapy.
in England they recently settled a case of tainted blood, for transmission of HIV they awarded a 140,000 pounds, yet for transmission of Hepatitis they awarded over 1.2 million-pounds, each mishap compensated according to its seriousness. obviously HIV is less serious.