Syringes Found By Children Had No Diseases

The two syringes used by children who found them at the city-run pre-kindergarten did not contain any diseases, Albuquerque officials said.

The syringes, used by four children when they found them in a box of donations at Governor Bent Pre-Kindergarten Center, were tested overnight by the state Department of Health.

City spokesman Chris Ramirez said the results came back negative for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C at a news conference Thursday. Officials have also said that an initial inspection of the syringes showed they did not appear to contain any substances.

Still, the city will reimburse any medical costs if families of the children chose to get them tested, Ramirez said.

The city became aware of the incident early Wednesday morning.

Four children around the age of 5 had found two syringes in a box that had likely been donated about a year ago, but had not been opened, Chief Administrative Officer Robert J. Perry said. The students played with the needles and either punctured themselves, or one another, Perry said.

Ramirez said the mayor has attempted to contact the parents of all four of the children involved, and has so far reached half of them.

Authorities believe the students found the syringes on Tuesday while digging through the box, which also contained other medical supplies, such as gauze and bandages.

Perry said the box might have been sitting in the classroom unopened for about a year.

But nobody was aware of the syringes until Wednesday morning, when a few students complained about having been pricked, Perry said.

The city launched a full investigation to determine where the box came from, why it hadn’t been inspected and whether any personnel should be disciplined. Ramirez said that investigation is ongoing.

It also asked the state Department of Health to conduct a full forensic examination of the syringes.

A total of 11 students were in the classroom where the needles were found. The Governor Bent Pre-Kindergarten Center is a year-round program that is part of the city’s Child and Family Development Services.