Inspector Ignored Warning On TB Patient

Man With Dangerous Strain Of Tuberculosis ID'd As Lawyer, Son-In-Law Of TB Expert

(CBS/AP)  A U.S. border inspector who allowed an Atlanta lawyer infected with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis back into the country, disregarding a computer warning to stop the man and don protective gear, has been removed from border duty, officials said Thursday.

The unidentified inspector explained that he was no doctor but that the infected man seemed perfectly healthy and that he thought the warning was merely "discretionary," officials briefed on the case told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is still under investigation.

The patient was identified as Andrew Speaker, a 31-year-old personal injury lawyer who returned last week from his honeymoon in Europe. His new father-in-law, Robert C. Cooksey, is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention microbiologist specializing in TB and other bacteria.

Speaker is now under quarantine at a hospital in Denver. He is first infected person to be quarantined by the U.S. government since 1963.

Speaker will stay in a room with specially designed ventilation to prevent germs from escaping, and doctors will try as many as five different antibiotics first, reports CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella. If that doesn't work, they'll resort to surgery.

Cooksey would not comment on whether he reported his son-in-law to federal health authorities. Nor did the CDC explain how the case came to their attention. However, Cooksey said that neither he nor his CDC laboratory was the source of his son-in-law's infection.

The disclosure that the patient is a lawyer — and specifically a personal injury lawyer — outraged many people on the Internet and elsewhere. Some travelers who flew on the same planes with Speaker angrily accused him of selfishly putting hundreds of other people's lives in danger.

"It's still very scary," 21-year-old Laney Wiggins, one of more than two dozen University of South Carolina-Aiken students who are getting skin tests for TB. "That is an outrageous number of people that he was very reckless with their health. It's not fair. It's selfish."

Speaker had told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he knew he had TB when he flew from Atlanta to Europe in mid-May for his wedding and honeymoon, but that he did not find out until he was already in Rome that it was an extensively drug-resistant strain considered especially dangerous. He said that doctors initially did not order him not to fly and only suggested he delay his wedding.

Despite later warnings from federal health officials not to board another long flight, he decided to fly to Canada and sneak back from there to the U.S. instead of flying, believing he would not survive if he did not reach the U.S., he said.

He was quarantined May 25, a day after he was allowed to pass through the border crossing at Champlain, N.Y., along the Canadian border.

The inspector ran Speaker's passport through a computer, and a warning — including instructions to hold the traveler, don a protective mask in dealing with him, and telephone health authorities — popped up, officials said. About a minute later, Speaker was instead cleared to continue on his journey, according to officials familiar with the records.

The Homeland Security Department is investigating.

"The border agent who questioned that person is at present performing administrative duties," said Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke, adding those duties do not include checking people at the land border crossing.

Colleen Kelley, president of the union that represents customs and border agents, declined to comment on the specifics of the case, but said "public health issues were not receiving adequate attention and training" within the agency.

On Thursday, a tan and healthy-looking Speaker was flown from Atlanta to Denver, accompanied by his wife and federal marshals, to Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center, where doctors planned to isolate him and treat him with oral and intravenous antibiotics.

[TiaSmith]

Nice thought.
Tia smith
<a rel="dofollow" href="http://www.legalx.net" rel="dofollow">Personal Injury Lawyer</a>

[dxsinghania]

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[dxsinghania]

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[downstreamer-2009]

I think the rest of the story is still to be told. When was he diagnosed, what was the biological source of the organism, i.e. tissue, body fluids and such, and why was the TB bug tested for antibiotic resistance. This is not normally done. Concerning the guy from the Institute of Homeland Security that was a guest this June 2, he needs to learn about TB organisms before he opens his mouth and shows his ignorance. TB is a very slow growing organism. It may take weeks to grow and it must be grown before it can be tested for antibiotic sensitivity. Its not just a simple antigen/antibody test like strep or pregnancy. His rantings on why it wasn't known sooner are just rantings of an ignorant man and should be totally disregarded.

[macdoodle1]

looks like lawyers and government both outdoing them selves with incompetence uncaring and then coverup
so what's new
im homless 7+years not dead despiute govt kkesp spulling rug out.
but tht will end soona nd the tacx savings to beign
im not to hafavore d dual diagnoses part your wat y to disblity.
i ahve phiysical/ psyche.
i was told by Va and more
the soemone at hud we fdont care what they do woith theomoney fro wommen and specail needs 10 of 12 woemns beds to drunk men.) too many meical conditons...

none cares none prevents.

[statflight]

Mr. Speaker, I have judged you, please forgive me. I know that people should be very careful as to not to judge. You did what you thought was right and okay to do. We all fall into situations that may leave us vulnerable and then we hope that God will help us through it - so those of us who find that we are exempt of this need to question our consciences perhaps one more time if not a second or third time as well. We shouldn't convict. I Thank God that HE is a forgiving God. I thank God that HE is the Judge. Mr. Speaker, you have asked for forgiveness so please know that God in Heaven has forgiven you whether or not those who are bitter or of whom you have asked to forgive you haven't, this is something they will have to work on, so allow it to be released from your heart. May God grant you and your family His loving peace and rest. Please look to the Lord, I have in my exhausted state due to similiar situations. Know that He will provide you the only true comfort. I will be praying for you and your family. Bless you and Be encouraged! (if you can read Psalm 71 God the Rock of Salvation)I thought of you in this Psalm, it is sooo good, don't miss out on the context.

[gdac88]

I do believe that Mr. Speaker's behavior was extremely risky. The fact is, though, that the authorities very clearly explained to him that no one was at risk because he was not contagious. Everyone is so quick to call him "selfish" without taking a look at their own selves. It is time for people to put themselves in his shoes; he is a man trying not to let a disease beat him. He is trying to continue to live his life to the fullest and follow his heart and his dreams. Think about it: the people he loves the most were around him the most and he didn't think he was putting them in danger either! I'm sure that I would be a little angry, too, if I was on that plane or had loved ones on that plane and/who had to be tested now. But there comes a time when we have to realize that it is not OUR place to judge someone...we don't even know what it is like, do we? To be put in a situation where putting someones' lives at risk or dying ourselves are the only two options? To the people being tested now...He was scared. You are scared now, too, but you would have been MORE scared if you were him and your life was very immediately on the line. You could die stepping out into the street...you could die sitting in an office building...there is no point to ruin this man's life because of your fear.

[NAudra19]

Stop judging others. Most U.S. physicians- understand too little about TB. This disease does not respect socio-economic boundaries! The WHO claims 1/3 of the world population,is now infected with some form (latent or active) of TB. To think we are somehow immune,as Americans- is ridiculous! What's bringing TB back as an epidemic, is not just "foreigners or immigrants". All immune compromised people are at risk- including the very young & elderly. HIV/AIDS patient's are at the highest risk. TB is becoming like a dark shadow for them. Most of them will suffer with disseminated, extra-pulmonary TB- the deadliest form of all. This type of TB is rarely contagious. Only pulmonary & laryngeal forms are highly contagious. People must learn to always protect others from their coughs & sneezes! Recent studies have proven 1,000 - 2,000 iu's per day of Vitamin D3 can protect us from this disease- so why does our FDA limit the amount in our multivitamins to only an RDA of 400? These same studies have proven 10,000 iu's of D3 per day, for 9 months, can cure all types of this mycobacteria. So why are we playing deadly games with ancient, ineffective antibiotics? We need to grow up, protect & educate ourselves, & stop acting like hysterical children.

[bacardistuff]

I agree with the poster who compared what this guy did to people with AIDS who sleep with others knowing they can infect them. This guy wasn't stupid as evidenced by the fact that he tried to sneak into the U.S. by way of Canada. Putting people at risk AGAIN! I hope he's a better lawyer than he is a human being.

[pollyannaa]

You have a healthy young man, Andrew Speaker, contracting a case of XDR TB, a very rare form of TB, so rare that less than 50 cases have been diagnosed in the US in the last 15 years in a country of 300 million people. This same young man is the son-in-law of Robert Cooksey, a microbiologist at the Centers for Disease Control who, coincidentally, specializes in TB bacteria research. Robert Cooksey says he was fully aware that his soon-to-be son-in-law was infected, yet this expert in the spread of this highly deadly TB did nothing to stop his son-in-law from boarding an international flight with 200 people on it? I'm not buying it. Connect the dots, people.

[pollyannaa]

You have a healthy young man, Andrew Speaker, contracting a case of XDR TB, a very rare form of TB, so rare that less than 50 cases have been diagnosed in the US in the last 15 years in a country of 300 million people. This same young man is the son-in-law of Robert Cooksey, a microbiologist at the Centers for Disease Control who, coincidentally, specializes in TB bacteria research. Robert Cooksey says he was fully aware that his soon-to-be son-in-law was infected, yet this expert in the spread of this highly deadly TB did nothing to stop his son-in-law from boarding an international flight with 200 people on it? I'm not buying it. Connect the dots, people.

[rhs648]

It's not about class warfare - I'm not short myself. It's that this guy had no excuses. He's got everything - you can't say he was undereducated, and just didn't know, you can't say he has had any lack that explains his callousness to the lives of his fellow man.

Posted by SusanHelit

Agreed

[perm3800]

From their local rag, APril 24, 2007:
"Dr. and Mrs. Robert C. Cooksey of Roswell are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Spence, to Andrew Harley Speaker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Speaker of Buckhead.

The bride-elect is an honor graduate of The Georgia Institute of Technology and a third year merit scholar at Emory University School of Law."

So, they got engaged on April 24th and felt they could not postpone a May 12th wedding in Europe....can anyone count forward 40 weeks from April 24th? The girl's stats show she isn't without some brain function. Had to be some reason other than cussed "I wanna!!" that made them risk the lives of others so that they could have a dream wedding only three weeks after getting engaged.

[trillion1]

They won't protect our borders, they won't protect our food, they won't protect our jobs. The American people have a goverment in name only.

[advanceus]

People who have AIDS and have *** with unknowing partners are arrested for attempted murder. This guy should receive the same. I would imagine he told his future father in-law and maybe was advised to ignore the no travel. His daughter must be a real dog!!!

[hikinmike]

TB Andy showed no sense of responsibility to the community. We depend on the good citizenship of those admonished to isolate themselves to avid the possbility of spreading serious disease.

The border guard took far too much authority upon him/her self and should be fired.

[ahrats]

TB is still very dangerous. It can easily be spread by just breathing since it is in the human lungs. My big concern is where he got from? He was very stupid for traving with it. Airplanes have a closed ventilatiion/air conditioning system so you did not have to sit near him to possible be infected. TB is treatable because of the advances in medical science, but is still contagous. As a personal injury lawyer he knows his chances for being sued is now greatly increased, someone may not have TB now but anytime in the future if they delvelop it they can blame him, if they were on any of the flights he took. It just like someone with aids and knows it but has unprotected *** anyway.

[andor3]

It's hard to fault Mr. Speaker for anything--some doctor tells him he has a terrible lung disease, yet he jogs every day. He is not contagious. He has wedding plans in Europe. I've been misdiagnosed and misadvised by doctors more often than not and I'd probably do just as he did in the same circumstances.

Even now he seems to have no difficulty although doctors continue to claim he has some disease that is untreatable and nearly always fatal.

And it's not like any cases of this disease are showing up--they're having to search very hard to even find people he might have infected.

There is something very weird going on here, and the father in law connection is odd too. I fault the doctors not the patient.

[rudy654-2009]

Well, the latest news is the man was NOT contagious! So all you hysterical nuts can stop trying to form a lynch mob!! My only question is, did 9/11 make you all so paranoid and violent, or were you always this way?? The hysterical mentality here is so unreal.

[erasmus6]

robert121 - the answer to your question is: NO

He needs to be strung up by his you know what and then everybody can take turns throwing stones at him.