Two Models Test Positive for Syphilis in Czech Republic

LOS ANGELES—Two female models in the Czech Republic have tested positive for syphilis, according to Europe-based producer Dan Leal, the CEO of Immoral Productions. The first of these two models, Patient A, found out that she was infected on December 12 when she tested at Prevedig lab in the Czech Republic. "This lab has an arrangement with a production company in Prague that we will call Company A," Leal said. "The lab sends the results of the tests to directors of Company A and those directors notify talent if there are any issues, rather than the lab calling performers." When Patient A found out that she had syphilis neither her Czech agent nor the director at Company A told anyone about her results and she began treatment, Leal said. "Instead of letting the other performers she worked with know that she was positive and had been exposed to syphilis they all kept silent," he said. "The performers who were exposed all kept working thereby possibly exposing numerous others to syphilis. According to a contract director of Company A, it is not the lab's responsibility to notify performers if they have been exposed to syphilis." On November 20, a German performer named Jason Steel was notified by Interlab in Budapest that he tested positive for syphilis. He announced on Twitter that he had contracted syphilis and began cooperating with everyone so it would not spread. With the help of Interlab and two agents in Budapest (Jul Models and Brill Babes) they contacted the eight models with whom he worked. All eight models were quarantined and told not to shoot again until the New Year. The reason that these eight models were prohibited from working for so long is that it takes up to six weeks for syphilis to be detected, Leal said. Patient A was not one of the eight models who worked with Jason, nor did she work with any of the eight exposed female models. These two instances are completely unrelated other than that patient A and Steel both worked in Prague. Patient A and her agent mistakenly thought that she would be able to get a new test that would show she no longer had syphilis after only three weeks of treatment, according to Leal. She attempted this test at another lab in Prague, he said. When this lab found out that she had syphilis it came to light that she was aware of her condition, and so were her agent in the Czech Republic as well as the director and lab—all of whom did not reveal the result, Leal said. "This is why myself and numerous others just now became [aware] of this scandal," he added. Patient A was in a large group orgy scene on November 13 for Company A; now another model, Patient B, who was unaware that she had been exposed in this scene, has tested positive for syphilis as well, Leal reported. "As a result of the inexcusable and irresponsible behavior, we have decided that we will no longer accept any tests from any lab that does not post their results online and notify performers when they have been exposed to syphilis or any other life-threatening STIs," Leal said. "As a result of previous Syphilis situation in Europe Interlab in Budapest requires performers to sign a consent form. This form allows the lab to release their results to the agents and any performers that may have [been] exposed in the event of a positive life-threatening STI. To the best of our knowledge, Interlab in Budapest is the only lab that does this. In the event a performer does not have a test from Interlab we will pay for it. Brill Babes agency in Budapest has agreed to the same policy for companies that book their models."