HIV and Hepatitis scare after Bondi ‘wellness centre’ breaches infection controls during trendy skin invasive treatments
- People who visited Detoxologie between 2013 and 2020 should get a blood test
- Health bosses said the ‘wellness centre’ may have used non-sterile equipment
- Two patrons were hospitalised in December after IV infusions at the centre
A trendy Bondi Junction ‘wellness centre’ has been shut down amid fears of a HIV and hepatitis outbreak.
Health bosses have urged customers who visited Detoxologie at Eastgate Shopping Centre between June 2013 and December 2020 to get test for blood borne viruses.
Anyone who was given an invasive procedure, such as colonic irrigation, facial micro-needling, blood testing for food allergies and IV infusions, was told on Wednesday to visit a doctor.
The warning comes after two patrons were hospitalised in December following intravenous infusions as the centre.
Health bosses have urged customers who visited Detoxologie (pictured) at Eastgate Shopping Centre between June 2013 and December 2020 to get test for blood borne viruses
Pictured: The NSW Health warning issued for Detoxologie in Eastgate Shopping Centre, Bondi Junction
An investigation by the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) revealed the business may have been using non-sterile equipment.
Experts said there was a small risk that a blood borne virus infection, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV, may have spread from one patient to another.
Hepatitis B and C are serious infections spread from person to person through contact with blood. There is a cure for C, but the illness is life-long for people infected with B.
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If is not treated, it can lead to AIDS. There is no cure.
The viruses may not show any symptoms at all for years after infection, but are easily detected with a blood test.
Other illnesses may have also spread within the clinic, but authorities say they are likely short-term illnesses that can be treated with antibiotics.
Experts said there was a small risk that a blood borne virus infection, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV, may have spread from one patient to another at the clinic (pictured)
Health officials said other illnesses may have also spread within the clinic (pictured: the health warning)
The business was closed after the inspection, but has since reopened after improving its infection control measures.
However, practitioner Fay Fain was banned from providing health services.
In December, the HCCC alleged that Ms Fain was prescribing medication that was not approved for use in Australia.
The commission said she claimed to be a registered nurse but there was ‘no evidence of her ever being registered as a nurse in Australia’.
‘Further evidence indicates Ms Fain has little knowledge of infection control practices and hygiene at Detoxologie was poor,’ it said.
On its website, the business claimed to offer ‘state-of-the-art colon hydrotherapy treatment’, which claimed to ease digestive discomfort by flushing the bowel out with water.
‘[We] opened in 2011 due to our main principal observing over her 25 plus years as a clinical nutritionist how many people suffer from digestive health issues,’ the website read.
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