140 cancer patients in Seattle area warned of TB risk from health worker
About 140 cancer patients may have been exposed to tuberculosis by a health-care worker who was diagnosed with an active case of the disease, officials with the University of Washington Medical Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance said Tuesday.
Patients who had contact with the worker between February and July are being advised to be tested for the infection, which can cause serious illness in people with weakened immune systems.
“We believe the risk of this person passing TB to others is low,” said Dr. Masa Narita, TB disease-control officer with Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Although tuberculosis is infectious, it doesn’t spread as easily as the flu, for instance, he added.
Read more: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/140-cancer-patients-in-seattle-area-warned-of-tb-risk-from-health-worker/