Fourteen out of the 124 patients of the doctor at the center of a syringe scare have tested positive for hepatitis, according to the Nassau County Department of Health.

Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, of Plainview, is accused of reusing syringes and infecting more than 600 patients with hepatitis or other diseases.

The health department says eight people tested positive for hepatitis B and six with hepatitis C.

Dr. Steven Wallerstein of the Nassau University Medical Center says some of those infected could have contracted the disease in other ways. However, he maintains hepatitis is a serious, difficult-to-treat disease with severe consequences, like liver cancer.

The health department says even though preliminary numbers seem high, testing of patients is still under way. It says no firm conclusions can be made from the numbers.

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