Rare Tuberculosis Case Prompts Warning

Man Placed In Quarantine After Possibly Spreading Dangerous Form Of Disease To Passengers On 2 Flights

(CBS/AP)  A man with a rare and exceptionally dangerous form of tuberculosis has been placed in quarantine by the U.S. government after possibly exposing passengers and crew on two trans-Atlantic flights earlier this month, health officials said Tuesday.

This marks the first time since 1963 that the government issued a quarantine order. The last such order was to quarantine a patient with smallpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC urged people on the same flights to get checked for tuberculosis.

"From everything I heard today, I think the likelihood of [a ripple effect from the people on the plane] is pretty low, but I think the CDC is being appropriately cautious," said CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. "After all, this is a very resistant kind of strain."

The infected man flew from Atlanta to Paris on May 12 aboard Air France Flight 385. He returned to North America on May 24 aboard Czech Air Flight 104 from Prague to Montreal.

CDC officials finally reached him by phone when he crossed back into the U.S. from Canada by car on May 24, reports CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes. He was flown back to Georgia on a CDC government plane on May 28.

The man cooperated with authorities after learning he had an unusually dangerous form of TB. He voluntarily went to a hospital and is not facing prosecution, officials said.

The man is hospitalized in Atlanta in respiratory isolation, according to the World Health Organization.

He was potentially infectious at the time of the flights, so CDC officials recommended medical exams for cabin crew members on those flights, as well as passengers sitting in the same rows or within two rows.

The man was infected with "extensively drug-resistant" TB, also called XDR-TB. It resists many drugs used to treat the infection. Last year, there were two U.S. cases of that strain.

Because of antibiotics and other measures, the TB rate in the United States has been falling for years. Last year, it hit an all-time low of 13,767 cases, or about 4.6 cases per 100,000 Americans.

Tuberculosis kills nearly 2 million people each year worldwide.

[katia327]

He cooperated with authorities after learning he had an unusually dangerous form of TB. He voluntarily went to a hospital and is not facing prosecution, officials said.
*******************************

This man had NO idea he had this form of TB. So, why would they even CONSIDER prosecution?

[southmsdixon]

Was the man in our country legally?

[ralan40]

...used to be people were afraid of crashing when they fly. Are passangers going have to undergo Health screenings now???
Welcome to the 'Global World', folks, and all that comes with it.

[nadeau4201]

Bush has the power to declare marshal law in case of an outbreak of any kind. What a coincidence he sign that into law on May 9 2007.

[hypnotoad72]

SouthMsDixon - a valid question.

ainttaken - a very astute observation.

I hope neither of you won't get flamed by small-minded nincompoops who think it's better to let everyone with a disease spread it than to do the right things.

Mind you, nobody did anything about AIDS either - President Reagan wasn't perfect, but AIDS hasn't stopped anybody from engaging in stupid, selfish, anti-social, and immoral behavior either.

[bobnjersey]

[Was the man in our country legally? ]
[Posted by SouthMsDixon at 04:29 PM : May 29, 2007]

he was traveling between four different countries (us, france, czech, canada) ... seemingly starting his trip from the us and commencing it here.

do you have a passport?

[skeezix06]

A few pertinent but unanswered questions.

1. Is he a native American (born in this country?) or is he a naturalized American and if so what country did he come from?

2. Did he contract the TB in this country or did he contract it somewhere else? And again, where?

3. Did he know he had a treatment resistant TB before he got on that plane or after? The story appeared to hint that he may not have known it was a strain that is resistant to treatment.

Don't worry, I don't expect any answers. I'm well aware of that you tell us only what you think we should know and can comprehend. After all, we're only the public. It's not like we matter or anything... (heavy, heavy irony)

[vinepetal904]

welcome to the u.s.: if ur uninfected, please move toward the statue of get well soon and feed the world on the left ... if ur ill, please move toward the quarantine of get sick soon and tax the world on the right

[tuckerndfw]

for all you folks who live in constant fear of terrorists, here is the next generation of suicde bomber.
Infect yourself and spend the rest of your short life going to football games and concerts.

Posted by ainttaken at 04:24 PM : May 29, 2007

You are exactly correct.

While the US is throwing away billions of dollars on guns, bullets and bombs, "terrorists" are developing an advanced airborne virus similar to AID's virus.

And, when it is perfected, all the guns, bullets and bombs will be useless against it.

Too bad the US is led by morons elected by morons. But, it won't be for much longer.

[toldyouso21]

How ironic--we quarantine a man to limit the transmission of a disease that can be controlled or cured by antibiotics--(albeit, it will take longer and more systemic treatments but resistant does NOT mean incurable)

But when faced with the same dilemma when AIDS broke out, we relied on people being "responsible" to prevent the spread. AIDS transmission is on the rise, the most heavily affected groups now women and teens--and it is NOT yet curable, though a regime of drugs can keep some patients living longer.

I was for quarantining people in 1985, when it was first identified and the MOT was known. People shot that down as being a bigot or prejudice--but it was not. As a Scientist, I simply reasoned that to contain the actual carriers would limit the spread of the disease--but no one listened and now--here we are.

[alphaa10-2009]

"The man cooperated with authorities after learning he had an unusually dangerous form of TB. He voluntarily went to a hospital and is not facing prosecution, officials said." (from story)
---
So, the guy had no idea he was contagious? If true, that, in itself, is a gross policy failure. More likely-- especially if the feds knew all about him-- the patient was in fact fully aware of his condition and the threat he posed to others. He found it simply inconvenient to restrict his own activities.

Is it too much to ask that we have a reasonable measure of protection from such people? It is one thing for the CDC to track some 13,000 cases-- it is quite another to halt their spread from close contact on buses, airliners, trains and cabs.

Anyone who saw the Terry Gilliam film "Twelve Monkeys" will grasp what a nightmare even a resistant-strain TB epidemic would be. The closest warning equivalent is our yearly flu season.

[toldyouso21]

3. Did he know he had a treatment resistant TB before he got on that plane or after? The story appeared to hint that he may not have known it was a strain that is resistant to treatment.

Posted by skeezix06 at 07:22 PM : May 29, 2007

Your comment does not make sense. If he knew he had a strain of ANY sort, he would also have known it was resistant to treatment.

More likely, he did not know he had TB at all and therefore had not been treated. He probably was not an American citizen and the only native Americans are those who have ancestry belonging to native American tribes. The rest of us are born US citizens.

To your other questions--it is highly likely he was either an immigrant or just someone visiting. Only immigrants with visas are screened for health problems upon entering the US and usually there is a certain way that Customs and the INS vet them. A person with a fever or persistent cough or coming from certain locations is subjected to the most scrutiny. American citizens are rarely stopped or examined unless they have been to suspect countries for a long period of time.

[toldyouso21]

So, the guy had no idea he was contagious? If true, that, in itself, is a gross policy failure. More likely-- especially if the feds knew all about him-- the patient was in fact fully aware of his condition and the threat he posed to others. Posted by alphaa10 at 12:04 AM : May 30, 2007

Are you even remotely aware of the policies concerning entry into this country by immigrants? When a port of entry is monitored (like airports) persons from certain countries or who exhibited ill behavior (ie., profuse sweating, fever, sunken eyes, trembling, delirium, excessive coughing or any other physical symptom OR they come from certain countries (such as Africa, parts of S. America, Haiti, etc) are removed from the customs lines and escorted to certain holding areas. There they are examined, for skin diseases, BP, lice/parasitical infections, fever and if coughing --X-rays. There are a lot of people who have a cough who do not know whether they have been exposed to TB or Histoplasmosis or another lung pathogen. The examination will show coin lesions on their lung, which indicates TB. This then , is further tested. In addition, the quarantine area may test for drugs, send out blood tests. etc. It is HIGHLY likely that this man did not know he had any disease--just as it is HIGHLY likely that you are acquainted on some level with someone with TB and you and they do not know it.

[toldyouso21]

guess toldyouso toldusso. No smarmy delusions of granduer here. Why dont we quarantine people with idiotic ideas.
According to Captain Yossarian, evry cell in your body is a potential enemy. No one makes it outta here alive!!!
Just make sure you dont suffer the shame of dying at the hands of a terrorist
Posted by ainttaken at 12:11 AM : May 30, 2007


One thing about knowledge--it is free for the partaking of--if people can get past their egos. A smart man takes and uses information when ever he sees a need for it, or lucks up on it------an intelligent man values a source of information, and recognizes the gain and the source--and is able to accept the information.

An average man, fears knowledge and since he hates the fealing of fear--often hates the source of information, shuns it and ridicules those who have it.

Relax--we can learn on blogs too--at least those of us that can get beyond what we do not know and become just that bit more knowledgeable and therefore more aware.

[toldyouso21]

CORRECTION:

I just saw the article and want to correct 2 things that I posted:

1. The man was appears to be an American (based on the news clip)

2. His doctors had warned him not to fly and so he knew he had TB

I do find it odd that this man is still supposedly not to have known--in cases where there is drug resistant TB, the man not only should not have flown--he should not have been allowed to walk around and infect people in stores, malls, restaurants or anywhere breathing is done.

In short, the doctors should already have placed him in hospital quarantine. replete with masks and gowns and made him stay until his level of contagion was diminished.

What I wrote (how the routine generally works and who is targeted) is true--but on hearing even more on this from the clip, it appears those on these blogs who were upset and suspiscious--called it right.

[angel63363]

Oh come on people this was intentionally planted to put this disease into the United States. It may have not been him but someone else on the plane. This was a suicide mission and that is all it is. It is a scare tactic from others overseas. These are crafty individuals that are just trying to find ways to get back at us. Don't you think it is time to wake up to ignorance and do something about it. Call your congressman and stop this war. People are dying day and night and for what because someone tore into the world trade center. Did any of our worlds stop because of what happened. No. We should stand and cast fear out the door. Don't you think? I am so tired of hearing people feel that they are victims. It is time to take a stand and say enough is enough and quit pouring out negative fear on all the united states. What happened to informative information not fear tactics. Give me a break.

[peaceforusa]

angel63363 said "People are dying day and night and for what because someone tore into the world trade center. Did any of our worlds stop because of what happened?"

Yeah, people's worlds stopped. Anyone who lost a loved one in the WTC, their lives stopped and will never be the same.

I do, however, agree that alot of what we hear is to create fear. I too am done being scared. As I said about the illegal immigration issue, we should all descend on the white house and see how welcome we are. Let's have a few million legal American people protest the war, illegal immigration, gas prices, and whatever other issues we have. I am ready to carry my flag and my sign in protest...