At least 16 people have been affected by the HIV virus after contaminated blood was used for transfusions at a hospital in Bei'an County, Heilongjiang Province.

An ongoing investigation by the county court and other officials has disclosed at least five farm workers received contaminated blood from 1999 to 2004. The nature of the disease, however, was undisclosed.

Four others were infected by the original five with the "mysterious" disease at the farm 330 km north to provincial capital Harbin.

But China Daily learned yesterday there could be as many as 16 infected by HIV.

A statement from the Ministry of Health on Tuesday confirmed that nine victims "were infected" because five received tainted blood from a supply at Workers' Hospital, located on a construction farm.

"We have admitted 16 AIDS patients from the farm since last September," said a nurse in the infectious disease department of the hospital, affiliated with the Heilongjiang General Bureau of State Farms in Harbin.

"Now nine patients are still hospitalized and their status is stable," the nurse said in a telephone interview.

A farm official with Bei'an Farm, who identified himself only as Li, said victims include farm workers and peasants around his farm-for which the hospital is their only medical resource.

Li also said the Harbin hospital has been treating those patients, and their medical expenses, totalling around 1 million yuan (US$121,500), were covered by the farm, which the nurse also confirmed.

An official with the Bei'an farm court said it is still investigating the incident. He said he was not sure how much in reparation each victim might receive.

The statement from the Ministry of Health said some relevant officials have been disciplined within the Party and others are subjects of the criminal investigation.