Navy orders TB tests for 6,000 sailors

[TriSec]

Navy orders TB tests for 6,000 sailors on USS Ronald Reagan

SAN DIEGO — The Navy has decided to conduct tuberculosis tests on all 4,800 crew members and 1,200 civilians who were recently aboard the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan after an initial round of tests showed many crew members tested positive for the disease, officials said Saturday.

The first round of tests was ordered after a sailor was diagnosed with active tuberculosis. The ship returned to San Diego on July 6 after a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf. Officials tested 776 crew members and civilians who were thought to have had contact with the sailor. Positive results showed up in 4.4% of them.

Capt. Frank Chapman, a Navy doctor, said the Reagan's commanding officer, Capt. Terry Kraft, ordered the entire crew and all passengers screened for TB in order to "identify everyone who may have been infected and begin any necessary treatment."

The Navy hopes to have the tests completed by Friday. None of those who tested positive show active signs of TB and none are contagious, Chapman said.

[fasttense]

1. This is not unusual.

Once st a state side base, we had a civilian employee who had stopped taking their TB medication and it was considered prudent for all base employees to be tested and/or treated.

[maddezmom]

2. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2408544