KVIA’s Complete Coverage on babies exposed to hospital employee with active tuberculosis
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, there were 1,222 cases of tuberculosis (TB) reported in 2013.
What is tuberculosis (TB) and how is it treated?
El Paso’s TB Cases In The Last 7 Years:
2013: 49
2012: 37
2011: 37
2010: 48
2009: 57
2008: 68
2007: 40
Who gets TB? In Texas, 51 percent of reported TB cases in 2013 were among Hispanics, 19 percent were among African Americans, 14 percent percent were among Whites, and 16 percent were among Asians, according to Texas Department of State Health Services.
TB rates are higher along the Texas-Mexico border.
Co-infection with TB and diabetes is also more common along the border than in the rest of the state. TB/HIV co-infection is more commonly found in urban areas of Texas.
Is TB curable? TB is curable with proper treatment. However, some strains of TB are resistant to the drugs used for treatment.
In 2013, six people in Texas were diagnosed with multi-drug resistant TB. One case of extensively drug resistant TB, a type of TB that is resistant to most drugs typically used for treatment, was reported in Texas.
Click on links below for KVIA’s ongoing coverage of the active tuberculosis exposure at Providence Memorial Hospital in El Paso.
View schedule of when hospital employee with active Tuberculosis worked at Providence hospital
Testing to continue for tuberculosis, list of those exposed grows Sept. 28, 2014
5 babies test positive for TB infection, city health department says Sept. 28, 2014 Mother upset over how exposed babies will be treated for TB Sept. 26, 2014
Tuberculosis exposure: State checking if Providence, Health Dept. followed guidelines to identify exposed babies Sept. 25, 2014
Federal government requests more information from Providence Memorial Hospital before release of action plan Sept. 25, 2014
El Paso Health Dept. releases numbers of how many babies have been tested for Tuberculosis Sept. 25, 2014
Tuberculosis exposure: Babies exposed after birthdate excluded from list; side effects of treatment Sept. 24, 2014
Providence hospital CEO apologizes for active Tuberculosis exposure, says more should have been done when employee with active TB showed symptoms in July Sept. 23, 2014
Video: Full El Paso Health Dept. Sept. 23 news conference updating active Tuberculosis exposure Sept. 23, 2014
Number of infants exposed to active Tuberculosis continues to grow Sept. 23, 2014
El Paso hospital TB update: Babies under 6 months old will need medication even if test negative for TB Sept. 22, 2014
Federal inspection at Providence Memorial Hospital reveals several violations; federal funding could be in jeopardy Sept. 22, 2014
Infant tuberculosis scare at El Paso hospital Sept. 19, 2014
Tuberculosis scare: Stigma tied to disease Sept. 19, 2014
More than 700 patients and 40 employees exposed to employee with active case of tuberculosis at West El Paso hospital Sept. 19, 2014
Centers for Disease Control Information On Tuberculosis
Trends inTuberculosis— United States, 2013
OnlineTuberculosisInformation System (OTIS) Data
Treatment ofTuberculosisAmerican Thoracic Society, CDC Pamphlets – Get the Facts Publications & Mobile LTBI App (for healthcare providers) FY 2014 AMD Projects: Accurately Detecting TB Outbreaks…
