In 2004, top viral hepatitis CDC researcher, Miriam Alter, MD, gave a presentation to the FDA and referenced the 1984-85 HBV outbreak via transmission by jet injectors. Dr. Cecil’s website (Link) also links to the 1990 abstract, An outbreak of hepatitis B associated with jet injections in a weight reduction clinic (Link).   It’s important to note the high transmission numbers in this outbteak:  60 out of 287 patients were acutely sickened.  

Stopping the use of the jet injectors on July 2, 1985, at clinic 1, was associated with the termination of this outbreak. This investigation demonstrated that jet injectors can become contaminated with hepatitis B virus and then may be vehicles for its transmission.

The CDC, even after the HIV/AIDS crisis, will not warn the public about possible exposure to bloodborne pathogens via jet injectors even thirty years after this incident. But by 2004, hepatitis outbreaks due to contaminated medical devices were an unavoidable reality that Dr. Alter had to address among her peers. (She may not work at the CDC currently.) The notion that the CDC doesn’t have unpublished secret research about jet injectors strains credulity.

This slide image can be printed as “easy evidence” with regard to the discontinued old jet guns along with the PubMed 1990 abstract.  Dr. Alter is author and co-author of 159 texts in PubMed including the one cited above.  

CDC communicates the science about diabetes-related medical device transmissions with little waffling. The history is different but the mechanism is the similar. Direct transmissions by devices/equipment are the opposite of natural transmissions such as sexual contacts or mother-to-newborn babies.  Airborne blood transmissions probably fall in the natural category as in this unlucky case:

Transmission of hepatitis C by blood splash into conjunctiva in a nurse (link)