Posted on 05/23/2007 1:51:46 AM PDT by bd476
(CBS 5 / BCN) VALLEJO Solano County Public Health officials said Tuesday they would conduct free tuberculosis skin tests June 5 following the discovery that someone associated with Vallejo High School has active, contagious tuberculosis.
Map of Vallejo, California, USA
Robin Cox, health education manager for Solano County Public Health, said people who may have had close contact with the person with tuberculosis will be tested at Vallejo High School and the test results will be known June 7.
Health officials were working to get documents and information on students, faculty, staff members and others who had close proximity to the affected person, Cox said. Parents will need to sign consent forms before their children are tested.
"We want to thoroughly plan who needs to be tested and want to cast a net as wide as is scientifically and medically possible to get as many people tested as we can before school closes in 16 days," Cox said.
Vallejo High School Principal Phil Saroyan emphasized that the school was cooperating with the public health officials.
"We have very few days left in the school year to do the investigation and provide free tests for the TB germ before our staff and students go on summer vacation," Saroyan said.
There is no evidence of other active tuberculosis cases associated with Vallejo High School and there are between 20 and 40 active TB cases in Solano County at any given time, Cox said.
While the risk of contracting TB is generally low, health officials said they must find anyone who had significant contact with the contagious person and test them and treat them if necessary to stop the spread of the disease.
TB is a serious but treatable bacterial lung disease that is transmitted from person to person through microscopic droplets that enter the air while coughing, sneezing, talking or singing. Health officials said the most common way to get the disease is by spending a lot of time in enclosed spaces with a person who has active TB disease.
Health officials also stressed the difference between a TB infection and active TB disease.
"Most people who test positive for TB have TB infection. People with TB infection (without disease) have the TB germ in their body, but they are not sick because the germ is inactive. They cannot spread the germ to others," said Dr. Ronald Chapman, Deputy Director for Solano County Health and Social Services.
Few people who test positive with TB have TB disease, Chapman said. People with TB disease have the germ in their body and may cough a lot, feel weak, have a fever, lose weight, cough up blood or sweat a lot at night, Chapman said. The can give the germ to others but TB can be treated and cured, Chapman said.
"Our number one priority is to ensure the health and safety of the staff and students at Vallejo High School," said Chapman, who indicated that a public information meeting for students, parents and school staff is scheduled for May 31 at 7 p.m. at the Vallejo High School library.
Vallejo Times-Herald
Officials investigate TB case
'Person associated' with Vallejo High diagnosed with the contagious disease
By J.M. BROWN/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times HeraldArticle Launched:05/22/2007 07:28:26 AM PDT
A "person associated" with Vallejo High School has been diagnosed with contagious tuberculosis, officials said Monday. Officials have launched an investigation to determine who else might have been exposed to the bacterial lung disease, said Dr. Ronald W. Chapman, deputy director of Solano County Public Health. The probe marks the largest Solano public health outreach since a TB case at Vacaville High School four years ago.
Because the airborne disease is transmitted by coughing, talking or sneezing at close range, or exposure of at least eight hours in close quarters, Chapman said the probability of anyone at the school catching it is "really, really, really low." The germ must be inhaled to be transmitted.
Students, faculty and staff who have had close or prolonged contact with the patient may be asked to take a skin test to determine if they were exposed, Chapman said. The patient's family and other close contacts will also be tested.
Parents were notified about the diagnosis Monday by an automatic phone message and letters will be mailed to the full school community Tuesday, district spokeswoman Tish Busselle said. A public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 31 in the school library at 840 Nebraska St.
"Vallejo High School is cooperating 100 percent with Solano Public Health" principal Phi Saroyan said in a prepared statement. "We have very few days left in the school year to do the investigation and provide free tests for the TB germ before our staff and students go on summer vacation."
Saroyan asked for "full cooperation so that we can move through the screening and testing process quickly to protect our students and staff."
Chapman declined to give any details about the patient's age, gender or affiliation with the school, citing privacy concerns. "The general public does not need not know who the case is," he said.
He also declined to say where in Vallejo the patient was diagnosed, again saying such details were irrelevant to public notification. He did say the patient is in stable condition and taking several medications.
Chapman said he is not aware of other Solano County patients presenting similar symptoms, which include a severe cough, fever, weakness, night sweats, weight loss and other flu-like symptoms. Tuberculosis must be reported by law to public health officials.
Nurses launched the investigation Friday after the patient was diagnosed Thursday. Chapman said his office waited until today to notify the public after meeting with school officials about who might have been exposed.
Officials are investigating how the patient contracted the disease, but may never know because illness does not often follow exposure, Chapman said. The germ can lie latent for several decades, and only one out of 10 patients infected ever gets sick, he said.
Most TB patients recover, although some experience long-term illness, Chapman said. There are currently 40 other active TB cases countywide.
Officials investigate TB case 'Person associated' with Vallejo High diagnosed with the contagious disease
Oh Man I have been looking for that map for another thread.
I will try to google its title.
Fact Sheets
Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB)
Posted: April 2007What is XDR TB?
Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) is a relatively rare type of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). It is resistant to almost all drugs used to treat TB, including the two best first-line drugs: isoniazid and rifampin. XDR TB is also resistant to the best second-line medications: fluoroquinolones and at least one of three injectable drugs (i.e., amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin).
How is XDR TB spread?
Drug-susceptible (regular) TB and XDR TB are spread the same way. TB germs are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. These germs can float in the air for several hours, depending on the environment. Persons who breathe in the air containing these TB germs can become infected.
TB is not spread by
- shaking someone’s hand
- sharing food or drink
- touching bed linens or toilet seats
- sharing toothbrushes
- kissing
- smoking or sharing cigarettes
Why is XDR TB so serious?
Because XDR TB is resistant to the most powerful first-line and second-line drugs, patients are left with treatment options that are much less effective and often have worse treatment outcomes. XDR TB is of special concern for persons with HIV infection or other conditions that can weaken the immune system. These persons are more likely to develop TB disease once they are infected, and also have a higher risk of death once they develop TB disease.
Who is at risk for getting XDR TB?
Drug-resistant TB (MDR or XDR) is more common in people who:
- Do not take their TB medicine regularly
- Do not take all of their TB medicines as told by their doctor or nurse
- Develop active TB disease again, after having taken TB medicine in the past
- Come from areas of the world where drug-resistant TB is common
- Have spent time with someone known to have drug-resistant TB disease
How can I prevent myself from getting TB?
Avoid close contact or prolonged time with known TB patients in crowded, enclosed environments like clinics, hospitals, prisons, or homeless shelters.
Can the TB vaccine (BCG) help prevent XDR TB?
There is a vaccine for TB disease called Bacille Calmette-Guerinin (BCG). It is used in some countries to prevent severe forms of TB in children. However, BCG is not generally recommended in the United States because it has limited effectiveness for preventing TB in adults. The effect of BCG against XDR TB would likely be similar to the effect on drug-susceptible TB.
If I have regular (drug-susceptible) TB, how can I prevent getting drug-resistant TB?
The most important thing is for you to continue taking all your TB medicines exactly as prescribed. No doses should be missed and treatment should not be stopped early. You should tell your health care provider if you are having trouble taking the medications. If you plan to travel, make sure you have enough medicine to last while away.
Can XDR TB be treated and cured?
Yes, in some cases. Some TB control programs have shown that cure is possible for an estimated 30% of affected people. Successful outcomes depend greatly on the extent of the drug resistance, the severity of the disease, and whether the patient’s immune system is weakened.
What are the symptoms of XDR TB?
The general symptoms of TB disease include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs may also include coughing, chest pain, and coughing up blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected. If you have these symptoms, you should contact your doctor or local health department.
What should I do if I have been around someone who has XDR TB?
If you think you have been exposed to someone with TB disease, you should contact your doctor or local health department about getting a TB skin test or the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (QFT-G), a blood test. And tell the doctor or nurse when you spent time with this person.
How long does it take to find out if you have XDR TB?
If TB bacteria are found in the sputum (phlegm), the diagnosis of TB can be made in a day or two, but this finding will not be able to distinguish between drug-susceptible (regular) TB and drug-resistant TB. To determine drug susceptibility, the bacteria need to be grown and tested in a laboratory. Final diagnosis for TB, and especially for XDR TB, may take from 6 to 16 weeks.
Is XDR TB a problem in the United States?
The risk of acquiring XDR TB in the United States appears to be relatively low. However, it is important to acknowledge the ease at which TB can spread. As long as XDR TB exists, the United States is at risk and must address the threat.
How many cases of XDR TB have been reported in the United States?
In the United States, 49 cases of XDR TB have been reported between 1993 and 2006.
Is it safe to travel where cases of XDR TB have been reported?
Although MDR and XDR TB are occurring globally, they are still rare. HIV-infected travelers are at greatest risk if they come in contact with a person with MDR or XDR TB.
All travelers should avoid high risk settings where there are no infection control measures in place. Documented places where transmission has occurred include crowded hospitals, prisons, homeless shelters, and other settings where susceptible persons come in contact with persons with TB disease.
Air travel itself carries a relatively low risk of infection with TB of any kind.
What can health care providers do to prevent XDR TB?
Health care providers can help prevent MDR and XDR TB by quickly diagnosing cases, following recommended treatment guidelines, monitoring patient's response to treatment, and making sure therapy is completed.
Providers should also ensure proper implementation of infection control procedures to prevent exposure to TB in hospitals or health-care settings where TB patients are likely to be seen.
Are immigrants putting the U.S. at increased risk for TB?
Persons applying to enter the U.S. with immigrant or refugee visas must complete a questionnaire about any symptoms of TB they may have and obtain a chest radiograph. If positive, the person submits sputum specimens for examination for TB bacteria. Persons identified as having infectious TB are not granted entry to the United States, until they have been treated.
Why haven’t we heard about XDR TB before now?
For some years we have seen isolated cases of very highly resistant TB around the world that we would today call XDR TB. The drugs used to treat TB have been around a long time and drug resistance has taken many years to develop. Over time, countries have improved their laboratory capacity to test for drug resistance and their ability to track the number of cases. All of these factors have contributed to an increase in reporting of cases of drug-resistant TB. With more cases being identified, the problem was more closely examined, defined, and given a name.
What is CDC doing to prevent XDR TB from becoming a bigger problem?
CDC is collaborating with other federal agencies and international partners to raise awareness and enhance strategies for TB prevention worldwide by
- Strengthening TB services for people living with HIV/AIDS
- Assembling outbreak response teams
- Improving access to TB drugs
- Developing international TB testing standards
- Building capacity of health care providers to diagnose and treat TB
- Reconvening the Federal TB Task Force
- Providing technical assistance to expand TB program capacity
- Supporting TB communication and education efforts
Additional Information
CDC. Questions and Answers About TB (2005)
CDC. Tuberculosis: General Information
CDC. Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis
CDC. Tuberculosis Information for International Travelers
CDC. Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis - United States, 1993--2006
CDC. CDC’s Role in Preventing XDR TB
Last Reviewed: 04/18/2007
Content Source:
Division of Tuberculosis Elimination
The main reason so many people (talk about bipartisan) are opposed to this Kennedy idea is
THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THIS NATION.
This falls under safety. What are our leaders doing to us?
Mexicans+Eastern Europeans=TB.
Maybe we can get some of these infected illegals to work the next RNC fund raiser. They should work for nothing out of gratitude.
TB is the tip of the iceberg for infectious diseases spread by rampant and unmitigated 3rd world immigration. We don’t have the faintest idea of what we have in this country and the so-called experts are failing to ID the root cause for friggin’ political correctness.
Almost every state closed its TB sanitoriums in the late 70's. Pity. A wealth of medical expertise is now gone as most of the TB doctors are dead or very elderly and few new ones have taken up the gauntlet.
Disgusting. Why are Bush and the rest doing this to us? Oh I remember now. Because they couldn’t less about what Americans want.
Are immigrants putting the U.S. at increased risk for TB?
Persons applying to enter the U.S. with immigrant or refugee visas must complete a questionnaire about any symptoms of TB they may have and obtain a chest radiograph. If positive, the person submits sputum specimens for examination for TB bacteria. Persons identified as having infectious TB are not granted entry to the United States, until they have been treated.
Ah, yes -- but do we have a deal for you!
Behind door #1, you'll find that if you're one of the lucky millions who crossed our border illegally before January 1, 2007 (or you can falsify papers to make it look that way), you don't need any health questionnaire, chest radiograph, or proof of vacination!
Behind door #2, you'll find that if you want to make the US your legally permanent home, you have to go back to the hellhole you came from -- after four years of the door #1 deal -- get on line, pay $4000, and then -- and only then -- are you required to present a health certificate and proof of vacination!
Why, I'll take door #1, Alex, and I'll pass on door #2. This is too easy.
bttt
San Franciso is one of the ‘sanctuary cities for illegals’ and Vallejo is just over the bridge from SF!
"Illegal aliens cross America's borders medically unexamined. We shrug. We do not know what Illegal Aliens carry in their backpacks. We do not know what they carry in their bodies.
Long ago we knew what legal immigrants brought with them.
When my grandpa came to America, he kissed the ground of New York's Ellis Island, then he stripped naked and coughed hard. Every legal immigrant before 1924 was examined for infectious diseases upon arrival and tested for tuberculosis. Anyone infected was shipped back to the old country. That was powerful incentive for each newcomer to make heroic efforts to appear healthy.
Today, legal immigrants must demonstrate that they are free of communicable diseases and drug addiction to qualify for lawful permanent residency Green Cards.
But Illegal Aliens stop at no medical checkpoint. Whoever walks through our foolishly open Golden Door comes in healthy or sick. If a border patrol sentry catches a healthy Illegal Alien he might be sent back home immediately. However, if we catch and detain a sick Illegal Alien, who after examination by physicians in a detention center proves to have a serious disease, we keep him!
Foolish compassion makes us fear that his home country has neither adequate medical resources nor modern wonder drugs. So we release sick Illegal Aliens to the American streets, to infect others if their diseases are contagious, or we place them in our Medicaid program where we pay for their expensive treatments.
Foolish medical generosity encourages clever Illegal Aliens to exploit free medical care that EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, provides.
Foolish medical graciousness encourages cynical Illegal Aliens to take and take and take again. Only a foolish guest will refuse what a foolish host offers. Our wide-open Golden Door guarantees that Illegal Aliens in their own self-interest will use and abuse our medical system.
Our Golden Door also is propped open thanks to advocacy and legal aid of Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Foundation, National Immigration Law Center, Southern Poverty Law Center, and similar open border groups. America is fast becoming Hospital to the World.
Horrendous diseases that long ago America had conquered are resurging. Horrific diseases common in Third World poverty and medical ignorance suddenly are appearing in American emergency rooms and medical offices. Along with the visible invasion of Illegal Aliens across our borders is an invisible invasion of deadly diseases.
Many illegals who skulk across our borders have tuberculosis (TB).
That disease had disappeared from America thanks to excellent hygiene and powerful modern drugs such as Isoniazid and Rifampin.
TB's swift, deadly return now is lethal for about 60% of those infected. The culprit is the new Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Until recently MDR-TB was endemic to Mexico.
The mycobacterium tuberculosis is resistant to at least two major TB drugs. Ordinary TB usually is cured in six months with four drugs (that cost about $2000). MDR-TB takes 24 months with many expensive drugs with toxic side effects (that cost around $250,000).
Each Illegal Alien with MDR-TB coughs and infects numerous people who will not show symptoms immediately. Latent disease explodes later, like a time bomb."...snip
In this same article, she also exposes other nasty diseases our friends from down South are bringing to us. We have a problem..
sw
There are strains of TB that are resistant to treatment. Welcome to California where we basically invite infected people to come and spread their germs into the faces of our innocent children.
TB, another wonderful benefit of illegal immigration.
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