92% of patients reached, massive testing to wind down this week

El Paso’s health officials said Thursday one more baby tested positive for Tuberculosis without having received the BCG vaccine.

That brings the total to 8 babies who tested positive; 5 who are considered “probably false positives” due to the BCG vaccine, and three positive cases for latent TB. None is active.

In September, health officials identified 857 babies who were potentially exposed to TB after a patient care tech — a nurse assistant– at Providence Memorial Hospital was found to have active TB.

Health department officials recommend that all babies younger than 6 months old who were potentially exposed receive treatment, even if they tested negative.

Dr. Hector Ocaranza, the El Paso Health Authority, said that would ensure babies do not develop the disease as they grow up. He said as a father, he would follow that advice despite concerns that the medicine may have adverse side effects.

“It’s effective and safe for babies,” Ocaranza assured.

However so far, only 18 babies are receiving that preventative treatment.

Asked if this was a sign that a majority of parents are declining it out of concern for side effects, Resendes said, “it would seem so at this time.”

He added that some parents may decide to hold off, consult a pediatrician, then may come back after having a change of heart.

Winding down

Because they have reached 92 percent of potentially exposed patients, El Paso’s Health Director Robert Resendes said they will be scaling back the massive TB testing effort they’ve sustained for three weeks by Friday.

He said that doesn’t mean the testing will stop but, he added, it won’t be the very large scale effort they have now.

“In my opinion, this is going very quickly, he said. “We thought it would take six weeks, we are going to get it done in three.”

Resendes said the city spent around $70,000 in September in investigation and testing of babies. They will bill Providence Hospital. The CDC and the state have separate costs.

As for the remaining 8 percent of babies who were potentially exposed and have not been contacted, Resendes said, “we’re still looking for them. We’re using all our resources to find them.That last 5 percent is always the most difficult.”

Now the effort transitions from testing to treatment, Resendes said.

The treatment involves having health workers go to the patient’s home twice a week to deliver the medication and making sure the babies receive it. The health workers who do this are trained to identify any side effects, Ocaranza said.

The investigation continues

Resendes said the city is in constant communication with the CDC and the Texas State Health Services Department.

He said they are following three concurrent investigations involving these subjects: the babies, the employees and co-workers of the employee with active TB, and the people who had personal or social contact with the employee.

Even this morning, Resendes said, his department was requesting more lists from the hospital to review again for any potential exposure.

“There’s much double checking, triple checking to make sure no exposed baby gets missed,” he said, assuring his department is carefully reviewing procedures even though they haven’t had much experience with mass exposures like the one at Providence.

“This is nothing normal.This is a once in a lifetime event for all of us,” Resendes said.