Infant tuberculosis scare at El Paso hospital
The El Paso Department of Public Health announced Friday that there’s been a tuberculosis exposure at Providence Memorial Hospital.
At a news conference, health officials said more than 700 patients and 40 employees were exposed to TB over a year period. A hospital employee was working with an active case of it. Hospital officials said it happened from September 2013 to August 2014 in the post-partum unit and the newborn nursery.
Health officials say there is no reason to be alarmed as long as everyone exposed gets screened for TB. None of the employees tested have come up positive, but many of the infants born at the hospital over that period must now be screened and that process is underway.
Letters have been mailed to the parents of 706 patients who may have been in close contact with the affected healthcare worker. The hospital says it learned of the healthcare worker’s TB diagnosis on Aug. 25 and immediately relieved her from duty and called the health department. The next day they met with hospital staff to begin a plan of action.
There are more than 3,000 babies born every year at Providence Memorial Hospital. That means about one-quarter or 25 percent of them over that year period were exposed.
Those who receive a letter from the Department of Public Health are urged to call 211 immediately and make an appointment for a free TB screening. Tuberculosis usually affects the lungs, but can also affect the brain, kidneys or spine. It can be spread when a person with active tuberculosis coughs or sneezes and releases droplets with germs into the air.
“This bacteria is not very easily transmitted,” said El Paso City/County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza. “We want to stress that. Even though this bacteria is infectious, treatment for this bacteria and the people who have been in contact with someone with tuberculosis are not in imminent danger to acquire the disease.”
Robert Resendes, the City of El Paso’s public health director, called the situation an “unfortunate incident.”
“We’re going to get through this and we’re going to help these babies and their Moms and Dads,” Resendes said, “and we’re going to have a good ending to this.”
