Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: March 21, 2008

Department of Health Notified of TB Case in a Rhode Island Physician: HEALTH Investigates Close Contacts

On March 20, the Department of Health (HEALTH) was notified of a case of active tuberculosis (TB) in a practicing physician in Rhode Island. The physician has a private practice and privileges at local hospitals.

HEALTH is working closely with the physician’s office and the hospitals, as well as the RISE TB Clinic to conduct the investigation of the case. HEALTH is interviewing and testing the physician’s family members and co-workers and is determining whether any patients may also need to be tested. Any patients who need to be tested will be notified by HEALTH by mail and phone. The physician has been ill for approximately six weeks, however, due to the nature of the symptoms, it does not appear that this individual was highly contagious.

“This case, like the recent case of TB in Central Falls, shows us that TB is an ongoing illness in our state,” said Director of Health, David R. Gifford, MD, MPH. “As we did in Central Falls, we are conducting an extensive investigation, that typically takes two to three months, to make sure no one was infected. Limiting the spread of disease is a high priority in these types of investigations.”

TB is an infection cased by bacteria that spread through the air from a person with active TB infection. When infected, the bacteria commonly cause disease in the lungs but can also cause disease in other parts of the body. TB infection usually causes people to have the following collection of symptoms: unexpected weight loss, night sweats, weakness or fatigue, loss of appetite, persistent coughing (for more than three weeks and sometimes with blood or shortness of breath). If people think they have TB, they should schedule an appointment with their healthcare provider.

As a reportable disease, TB is part of HEALTH’s disease surveillance system. HEALTH sees about 50 cases of active TB every year in Rhode Island (about one per week) from all cities and towns and among all ages and races. The Department routinely evaluates each case and tests all close contacts to prevent the spread of TB. All new cases of TB receive treatment at the RISE Clinic, the state-supported TB specialty clinic.