The Michigan health department has reported that a pediatric healthcare worker with tuberculosis (TB) who didn't know of the illness continued working for months.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in a press release that a pediatric healthcare worker who did not know had TB continued working in several locations over nine months.
The employee recently received diagnosis for pulmonary tuberculosis and the health department is currently working closely with medical groups to determine whether patients who were in close contact with the worker were exposed to the illness.
The worker, who is currently receiving treatment, worked at Lakeview Pediatrics locations in Macomb Township, Rochester and St. Clair Shores between April 1, 2019 and January 9, 2020.
The health department also said that all associates and providers at the pediatric practice have been tested and do not have active TB disease.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health for the department, said: "TB is a treatable bacterial disease that is spread through the air from one person to another."
"While the infection can be serious, not everyone who is exposed to TB will be infected, and many people who are infected never develop symptoms," Dr. Khaldun explained.
Health officials pointed out that there were two forms of TB infection. One is latent, in which people have the bacteria in their bodies but are not sick and the other is TB disease, in which bacteria multiply and cause people to become sick. The worker had the disease.
The health department said: "Those who develop the disease can spread the bacteria to other people. It is important to identify those who may be at risk, so they can receive treatment to prevent the disease from developing."
The department has notified everyone who got exposed and encouraged them to get tested at no cost.
