United States: Chicago Health Department officials confirmed a ‘small number’ of tuberculosis (TB) cases among migrants, intensifying contact tracing efforts.
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported cases in “a few different shelters” without disclosing specific numbers or locations.
Dr. Aniruddha Hazra, associate professor of medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Global Health at the University of Chicago, noted, “These outbreaks happen in close quarters, people living close to one another,” as per fox32chicago.
Despite the outbreak, Dr. Hazra urged the public not to panic, reassuring them that state health authorities have the situation under control.
He added, “The people most at risk of tuberculosis are the other migrants living in that shelter.”
This follows reports of over 55 measles cases in Chicago, with the majority linked to the migrant shelter on Halsted Street.
No TB Vaccine Available
Unlike measles, TB lacks an effective vaccine. Dr. Hazra emphasized, “There is no effective vaccine against tuberculosis.”
TB is highly infectious, primarily attacking the lungs, as reported by fox32chicago.
Dr. Gary Reschak, a pediatrician at Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital, explained, “It can only be spread by someone with active tuberculosis disease. Someone who is actively coughing up these droplets – that is how it gets spread.”
Dr. Reschak highlighted that open-air facilities, like shelters, can facilitate increased transmission, emphasizing the importance of identifying and treating individuals with active disease.
Additionally, CDPH noted in a Wednesday briefing that about 10 to 20 percent of people in Central and South America have latent TB infection, which is not transferable to others.
Dr. Hazra explained, “Not everyone who acquires TB will develop an active infection. A percentage of people will actually develop what we call a latent infection. But that latent TB can then reactivate to become active TB at some point in the future.”
He further added, “They can still receive anti-TB therapy to make sure that latent infection is fully eradicated.”
What does the health department have to say?
Jacob Martin, who is the spokesperson for the health department, said annually, 100 to 150 infection cases are reported in Chicago.
Additionally, he mentioned, “I would not characterize this as an outbreak,” and, “It’s relatively in line with what we expect to see.”
Moreover, he said, “We are literally always pushing to get more people vaccinated. With these vaccine-preventable diseases, we can prevent their spread with vaccines,” as nbcchicago.com reported.