Two cases of tuberculosis diagnosed in Cape Breton
Health officials say risk of contagion is low, but are following up with people who may have come into contact with those infected
Public health officials are in the process of checking up on as many as 300 people who may have been exposed to tuberculosis at the Cape Breton Regional hospital.
Dr. Eilish Cleary, interim Medical Officer of Health for the Antigonish-Strait-Cape Breton region, confirmed that two cases of the infectious disease have surfaced in Cape Breton.
She said while there is a low risk of contagion, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) protocol calls for followup assessments, and if necessary, testing of individuals who came into contact with the two people who were diagnosed with active tuberculosis.
The first diagnosis was in September and while the timing of second case has not been disclosed, Cleary said the cases are related.
“The two cases are linked in that one person would have had tuberculosis and the other person would have contracted it from the first person,” she said, adding that the communicable disease, which when active most commonly affects the lungs, is not often seen in Nova Scotia.
“We usually see between two and 10 cases per year in the province, so it’s not unheard of.”
Cleary said the followup investigation, assessments and tests are part of the NSHA’s standard response when an infectious disease like tuberculosis is diagnosed.
She said health officials are continuing to identify and check out any hospital staff, patients or visitors who may have come in contact with the infected person between Sept. 2225, 2017, at the Sydney hospital.
“It’s generally not highly contagious in that it takes quite a lot of prolonged exposure to pick it up, so assuming that they’re well and that there’s no symptoms, we’ll usually do a skin test, although blood tests
are done in very limited circumstances, and then if we need to investigate further we’d do a chest X-ray and, or, other tests,” said Cleary.
“As a routine what we would then do is go around and look at people closely connected with the case and then as time goes by we’d look at people less closely connected, but once the diagnosis is made the person is treated and then they are no longer infectious, so that’s a good thing.”
She said she expects that
by the time the investigation is completed, upwards of 300 people will have been checked out for any signs of tuberculosis, disease that is believed to have been present in humans since time immemorial.
According to the renowned Mayo Clinic, tuberculosis is a “potentially serious” infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs. It is spread from one person to another through microscopic droplets that are released into the air by coughing, sneezing, laughing, spitting and even singing.
And, once diagnosed, the disease is very treatable as most people who contract active tuberculosis and are given appropriate drugs will stop being contagious after a couple of weeks.
But, according to Cleary, the best way to ward off the disease, other than avoiding close contact with persons carrying infectious tuberculosis, is by having a strong immune system, which in turn is a product of a healthy diet and active lifestyle.