A 45-year old inmate at the Westchester County jail has tested positive for tuberculosis, an infectious disease that can spread easily among people sharing close quarters.
The male inmate is being treated at Westchester Medical Center. State and local health officials are testing and evaluating other inmates and staff members who were in contact with him to see if they were infected.
A Mass scheduled Monday at the Valhalla jail by Cardinal Timothy Dolan will be held.
TB is spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs, sending microscopic bacteria through the air, putting others at risk. If left untreated, lungs weaken and a person develops chills and fever and eventually dies.
The bacteria thrive in poorly ventilated, crowded quarters shared by many people who breathe the same air for long periods.
Rates of tuberculosis have been dropping nationwide since a spike in the early 1990s.
Even so, the disease killed 1.5 million people worldwide in 2014, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most TB cases in New York occur in New York City and surrounding areas, including Westchester.
There were 30 active cases diagnosed in Westchester in 2013, according to the state Department of Health, down from 62 cases in 2008.
TB cases among prison inmates are a particular concern because the illness is spread easily.
The number of cases reported by the state Department of Corrections has been declining since 1991, according to the state. Some 4 percent to 6 percent of of TB cases reported nationwide occur among people incarcerated at the time of diagnosis, according to the CDC.
There were no cases reported in prisons in New York in 2011 and 2012.
TB can be treated by antibiotics that must be taken for several months, although antibiotic-resistant strains have been reported.
Source : lohud.com
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