(CNN) - About 7,000 patients of a Tulsa, Oklahoma, dental practice were being notified they could have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis over the past six years, health authorities said Thursday.
Dentist W. Scott Harrington voluntarily stopped practicing when the joint investigation by the Tulsa Health Department and the Oklahoma State Department of Health began, the Tulsa agency said in a statement. "The dentist is cooperating with investigators through his attorney," the department said.
According to the State Board of Dentistry, the investigation into Harrington's practice found "numerous violations of health and safety laws and major violations of the State Dental Act," the health department said.
This morning, CNN's Ed Lavandera reports on the latest in the investigation on "Early Start."
READ MORE: 7,000 warned of potential HIV, hepatitis exposure
Two types of HIV have been characterized: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is the virus that was initially discovered and termed both LAV and HTLV-III. It is more virulent, more infective, and is the cause of the majority of HIV infections globally. The lower infectivity of HIV-2 compared to HIV-1 implies that fewer of those exposed to HIV-2 will be infected per exposure. '-`,
View the most recent blog post at our own blog page http://www.healthmedicinebook.comug
The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years. In some cases, those with cirrhosis will go on to develop liver failure, liver cancer or life-threatening esophageal and gastric varices.`..:,
Our new web site http://www.picturesofherpes.co