The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ONE person at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, a shelter for Hurricane Dorian victims, tested positive for an active case of tuberculosis, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Friday.

The patient, a student, was admitted to hospital for treatment.

Following the TB confirmation, a “contact tracing protocol” began with people who may have come into contact with him being tested for exposure.

“As of 11 December 2019, 273 persons in the shelter have been screened,” the ministry said. “Of that number 63 had positive skin tests, inducing an exposure to TB at some time in their past. As a part of the TB protocol those persons will also receive a chest x-ray to determine whether they have active TB or were merely exposed to someone with TB. At the school that the student attends, 36 persons were also screened. As the results from the skin test have to be read 48 hours and 72 hours after placement, those results are pending.”

Officials said it is not known where the infection originated even though the infected person stayed at a shelter.

“The person has active TB, we do not know where it was acquired, and all of the contacts have to be traced,” Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said.

The ministry said the TB rate in the Bahamas is less than 20 per 100,000, making the country a low incidence one.

Proper hand washing, coughing and sneezing hygiene are nonetheless important to help prevent spread of the infection, the ministry said.

People with latent TB infection have no symptoms, do not feel sick, cannot spread the infection to others, usually have a positive TB skin test reaction and can develop active TB if they do not receive treatment for the latent disease, the ministry said.

Symptoms of active TB in the lungs include a bad cough lasting longer than two weeks, pain in the chest and coughing up blood or sputum, with other symptoms including weakness or fatigue, weight loss, chills and sweating at night. Active TB is treatable.

The ministry said: “Tuberculosis is a disease caused by a bacteria that usually affects the lungs or throat where the disease may be infectious. TB can also attack other parts of the body such as the kidney, spine and brain where it is usually not infections. TB is a disease that is spread through the air. When a person with active TB disease coughs, sneezes, talks or spits, people nearby may breathe in the bacteria and may become infected. People with active TB disease are most likely to spread it to people they spend time with every day.”