UPDATE: Dept. of Public Health releases new numbers on screening process of babies

The El Paso Department of Public Health released new numbers on its screening process to test more than 850 babies for tuberculosis.

An employee who worked in the hospital’s nursery who tested positive for tuberculosis may have exposed the hundreds of babies.

Updated numbers showed the following results:

Patients contacted: 630 of 853 babies exposed

Patients scheduled for Health Department screening: *490/853

Completed initial screenings, as of September 29: *323

Patients with completed screening as of September 29: *201

(*Patients seen at private practice providers are not yet reflected in this number.)

El Paso City/County patients contacted: 565/759

El Paso City/County screenings scheduled: 464/759

Patients outside El Paso City/County contacted: 65/94

Patients in Mexico contacted 15/27: (56%)

Health officials recently created a new video that is now shown to parents during their initial visit to learn more about the TB screening process.