"The very notion that veterans have to contemplate this new reality now before them and visit special care clinics to undergo blood testing is stomach-turning," U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla., said in a letter Monday to the VA's inspector general. "This information is shocking."

The VA hasn't said whether it expects more facilities to announce similar problems, though Meek cautioned the number of affected people "could quickly expand to include a much larger pool of people."

"That, somehow, these standard protocols were not followed will undoubtedly leave our veterans with serious misgivings about our VA system," he said.

mark steyn