200 Edmonton patients may have been exposed to TB

EDMONTON • Around 200 people who used outpatient clinics at the University of Alberta hospital and the Kaye Edmonton Clinic may have been exposed to tuberculosis, Alberta Health Services announced Tuesday.

The health authority refused to disclose details about how the potential exposure occurred, except to say patients may have come into contact with “a confirmed case” of tuberculosis.

AHS also declined to provide a time period for the exposure risk or details about how it was discovered, citing the need to protect patient confidentiality.

All affected patients will receive letters explaining the situation, the health authority said, adding there is no ongoing risk at any of the outpatient clinics or to the general public.

“Only those notified by AHS are considered exposed to this case,” the health authority said in a news release. “Though this case is not a risk to (the) general public, we are informing the public of these case followup actions as a matter of transparency.”

AHS said it is now working to manage followup screening for those who may have been exposed.

Tuberculosis germs are spread through the air when someone with the disease sneezes, coughs or talks in the vicinity of others.

Most people who inhale the germs into their lungs never develop an active disease and do not develop any symptoms. Early diagnosis at this stage followed by preventative treatment can stop the disease from developing.

In cases where the germs activate in the lungs and do cause disease, patients can experience such serious symptoms as a phlegmy cough lasting more than three weeks, loss of appetite, loss of weight, tiredness, night sweats, fever, and blood in the sputum.