EXETER — A former Exeter Hospital patient who tested negative for hepatitis C says he thinks all tests should be sent to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a second opinion as the investigation into an outbreak of the virus continues.

Terry Murphy, 63, has been critical of the testing process following the hepatitis scare linked to the hospital after his first blood sample expired because it wasn’t sent to the state lab for testing in time.

Murphy was among 27 people who had to be retested and was notified by phone Monday night that his test was negative.

Still, the Exeter man said he worries about the accuracy of the tests after his first one expired and insisted that the CDC should review all of them.

“I absolutely do not believe it and I’m going to find a way to get a test that’s independent of Exeter Hospital and the state Department of Public Health,” Murphy said.

Murphy added his second blood sample was taken through an alternate site, affiliated with Portsmouth Regional Hospital, but testing was still done by the state.

The state announced Monday that six new patients were found to be infected with an identical strain of hepatitis C, bringing the total number to 26 patients and one hospital employee.

The state is currently sending only positive tests to the CDC for independent analysis and officials have no plans to begin sending negative ones.

“There’s no added benefit to sending them to the CDC,” said Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, state epidemiologist.

Alroy-Preis said the CDC is using the same testing machine as the state lab.

“What we know so far is that the tests we have sent to them have been verified. We don’t have any concerns that we’re missing or calling something inaccurate,” she said.

The state has another 80 to 90 patients who must still be tested, while about 60 are in the middle of the testing process.

At this point, Alroy-Preis said the state has no plans to change the time period for patients who should be tested. Those who were patients in the cardiac catheterization lab and its recovery room between Oct. 1, 2010 and May 25, 2012 are being tested and so far none became infected before April 2011, she said.

jschreiber@newstote.com