Hospital alerts patients of potential exposure to deadly disease.
A Hospital in Indiana Notifies Patients of Possible Tuberculosis Exposure
A hospital in Indiana has recently alerted its patients about a potential exposure to tuberculosis, a serious bacterial infection that can be fatal. The hospital, Clark Memorial Health in Jeffersonville, sent out hundreds of letters after a staff member tested positive for tuberculosis. The Clark County Health Officer, Eric Yazel, stated that there was a significant exposure to tuberculosis, also known as TB, caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium.
“And then we’ve been contacting some individuals at the individual level and monitoring,” Mr. Yazel told the News and Tribune. “It doesn’t look like that exposure is turning into a plot of positive tests … but that’s definitely something that we’ve been responding to from the health department side of things.”
According to officials, two people have tested positive for tuberculosis after the exposure in July at Clark Memorial. However, there have been no confirmed positive tests reported by other local media outlets.
Clark Memorial Health has confirmed that the employee who tested positive is now undergoing contact tracing. It is unclear if the employee is currently under quarantine.
“We are working closely with the Indiana Department of Health and the Clark County Health Department and are following the appropriate infectious disease protocols, which includes conducting contact tracing to identify and test individuals who may have been potentially exposed. Due to privacy laws, we are unable to provide additional information at this time,” the hospital’s statement said.
The hospital wants to reassure the community that it is safe to come to the hospital despite the confirmed case. It stated, “Our providers and clinical teams are well-trained and prepared to manage all kinds of infectious diseases, including TB, and our stringent infection control protocols remain in place.”
No details have been provided regarding how the staff member may have contracted tuberculosis. Although relatively rare in the United States, tuberculosis is more common in third-world and developing countries. In the late 19th century, tuberculosis, formerly known as “consumption” or “white plague,” was the leading cause of death in the U.S. and Europe, claiming the lives of 1 in 7 people.
Mr. Yazel assured the public that the exposure occurred over a prolonged period rather than being an isolated incident. He stated, “If you haven’t heard about it, you probably have nothing to worry about. If you weren’t notified that you were a potential exposure, then there is very little to worry about.”
‘Low-Risk Situation’
According to Mr. Yazel, individuals who received the notification are in a “very low-risk situation.” He emphasized the health department’s commitment to assisting those who need testing or follow-up in a convenient and accessible manner.
So far, the county health department has conducted approximately 60 tuberculosis blood tests. Mr. Yazel added, “Then a lot of folks have been tested through their primary physicians or in other modalities. There are some that we haven’t heard from that we will be circling back to in the next few weeks. I think the situation is really well contained and well handled by the state, by Clark, and by us helping wherever we can.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that tuberculosis primarily affects the lungs but can also target other parts of the body, such as the brain, spine, and kidneys.
“Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal,” the CDC states.
Officials highlight that tuberculosis treatment typically involves a lengthy and intensive course of several different strong antibiotics. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal and remains one of the top infectious killers worldwide.
Symptoms of tuberculosis include a persistent cough lasting three weeks or longer, chest pain, and coughing up blood.
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