Tuberculosis outbreak confirmed in West Alabama: 26 patients and 3 deaths so far - State offering ca
PERRY CO., AL (WSFA)
The Alabama Department of Public Health confirmed efforts Thursday to stop a tuberculosis outbreak in Perry County, saying it was sending additional nurses and TB investigators. They will search for patients who have TB and will work to provide preventive therapy to those possibly exposed.
ADPH officials said the patients are primarily in the town of Marion. The situation is of such concern that Pam Barrett, director of the Division of TB control, said "we are giving monetary incentives to people who come in for screening and necessary treatment.”
Between Jan. 11 and Jan. 29, the Perry County Health Department will give $20 to anyone coming in to be screened for TB. It will then give another $20 for returning after three days to get the result. A third $20 will be given for keeping an appointment to get a chest X-ray, if one is recommended. And Barrett says another $100 will be given to a patient if it is recommended they take medication and treatment is completed.
The Perry County Health Department is the only center that is offering money to patients for TB screening and treatment, ADPH advised. Testing will be done on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Perry County Health Department, 1748 S. Washington St., Marion. All services are provided at no charge. No appointment is needed for this service.
Patients diagnosed with TB in other cities and towns in Alabama are known to be linked to cases in Marion. ADPH says 20 of 26 patients diagnosed since January 2014 are from Marion, four are from the Tuscaloosa area, and two are from Centreville.
How serious is the outbreak? ADPH says they're dealing with a case rate of 253 per 100,000 population in the town of Marion, a number that far exceeds the TB case rate of 2.5 per 100,000 in the whole state of Alabama in 2015.
Of the 26 patients, four of them are children. Three adults have died.
Symptoms of TB include cough lasting more than two weeks, shortness of breath, fever, night sweats, weight loss and fatigue. A person may be infected with the TB germ and have no symptoms. Patients can be treated preventively before becoming ill.