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Hospital alert after TB detected Hospital alert after TB detected
(about 2 hours later)
A hospital is contacting more than 250 patients and staff after a worker there was diagnosed with tuberculosis. More than 250 patients and staff at a hospital have been alerted after a worker was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
The health care worker, who is based at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI), has been diagnosed with a form of TB that is resistant to normal antibiotics.The health care worker, who is based at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI), has been diagnosed with a form of TB that is resistant to normal antibiotics.
The hospital says it is writing to people who may have been in contact with the infected person and advising them to get tested. Hospital bosses are writing to people who may have been in contact with the infected person and advising them to be tested.
The BRI would not say where in the hospital the infected employee worked. They would not say where in the hospital the infected employee worked.
A spokesperson said the worker was diagnosed three months ago and 264 people may have been in contact with that person. A spokesperson said the worker was diagnosed three months ago and 264 people may have been in contact with them.
People have to be in very close, frequent or prolonged contact with an infected person to catch TB. Dr Joyshri Sarangi Christine Perry, director of infection prevention and control at the United Bristol Healthcare Trust, said: "We have a duty to alert all those who have come into contact with this healthcare worker of this issue and we are offering everyone potentially exposed the opportunity to undergo screening as a precaution.
"We understand that this may cause concern but we would like to stress that the risk to these patients and staff is very small."
Dr Joyshri Sarangi, consultant in communicable disease control at the Health Protection Agency in the city, added: "People have to be in very close, frequent or prolonged contact with an infected person to catch TB."
No further details of the age or sex of the worker are being released by the hospital, citing patient confidentiality.No further details of the age or sex of the worker are being released by the hospital, citing patient confidentiality.
TB is an infection caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.TB is an infection caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.
Any part of the body can be affected, but in most cases the lungs are affected first.Any part of the body can be affected, but in most cases the lungs are affected first.
It is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, producing tiny bacteria-infested water droplets which are easily breathed in by others in the vicinity. It is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, producing tiny bacteria-infested water droplets that are easily breathed in by others in the vicinity.