Health Minister Ross Wiseman said the breach appeared to have occurred through the Internet while a consultant was using a government desktop computer from home, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday.

Wiseman said the Provincial Public Health Laboratory consultant should not have used the computer off government property.

"That was an inappropriate use. Obviously individual computers that are available for work are there for the workplace only," Wiseman said.

Authorities have not been able to determine how much patient information was exposed.

A private computer security firm has been appointed to investigate and to ascertain the scope of the security breach, the CBC said.