Comments on: CDC Quarantines Man For TB (Tuberculosis XDR-TB)

By: Paula Margus

Paula Margus — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:34:32 +0000

I am curious to know what became of the 49 cases of of XDR-TB in the US that were confirmed between 1993-2006. Were all 49 cases successfully treated or did some of them result in mortality? Below is the quote from the reference to these cases:

“XDR-TB remains rare in the U.S., according to Kenneth Castro, M.D., director of the CDC’s TB elimination section. Between 1993 and 2006, he said, the CDC has confirmed only 49 cases in the country.”

Regards,

Paula J. Margus
DHS/CBP/Cargo Systems Program Office

By: John Strrebler

John Strrebler — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 23:17:42 +0000

I can understand that the man chose not to heed the warning that “he should not travel”.

I cannot understand why he ignored the U.S. health authorities when they contacted him in Rome to tell him to turn himself in to Italian Health Authorities to be isolated and treated.

Instead, he deliberately put all other passengers at risk while he was on that Czech flight to Canada.

Because he’s a personal injury lawyer, he’ll certainly understand why everyone who came in contact with him will be issuing enormous personal injury lawsuits to him because of his egregious conduct.

By: S Paprocki

S Paprocki — Thu, 31 May 2007 15:06:11 +0000

I think the CDC or his doctor dropped the ball on this one.
The man was not symptomatic, the infection was found in a routine x-ray. He was under treatment. He was told simply that he ’should not travel’. He was not aware of the seriousness of the disease, nor was he told that it was extremely drug resistant TB before the trip.
How many times do people do things the their doctors say they ’should not’ do? Our attitudes as Americans is that we get to choose. We ’should not’ type with Carpel Tunnel syndrome, yet we do. We ’should not’ go to work with a cold, we do. We ’should not’ go outside in summer without sunblock…
Imagine that you are going to your own wedding. You are on meds for something your doctor says you have, but you feel fine. After all, TB is one of those things that no-one in the US dies on anymore, right? And your doc said nothing about danger to your fiancee, how dangerous can it be?
Your doc says you ’should not’ travel, but it would be nearly impossible to cancel such a uniquely expensive and long-planned trip.
What would you do?
Is there a process for the doctor to fully inform the patient and the CDC of the situation? Can the CDC step in and quarantine the patient? Gee, in Atlanta, you’d think the local medical community would be more attuned to the CDC process for dealing with this situation than other communities – and if there is no process to report and contol this situation, there should be.
And, there should be a better tracking system for international travel of persons known to be infected with such a horrendous infectious disease.

By: Todd

Todd — Thu, 31 May 2007 01:54:09 +0000

Did he cover his mouth when coughed?

Did he have an aisle or window seat?

By: J.Ball

J.Ball — Wed, 30 May 2007 19:51:41 +0000

This, from the man with TB who is under guard in an Isolation Ward in Atlanta……”I am an intelligent person who does not require a guard at my door” HA…intelligent, that is questionable! Selfish..most definitely to expose so many unsuspecting people to a terrible disease. Shame on him.

By: Jen PhD MPH

Jen PhD MPH — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:21:43 +0000

… he should not have travelled, I wish people would smarten up.