960 babies in TB scare at Kaiser in San Francisco [Hospital]

San Fancisco Chronicle ^ | August 27, 2008 | Elizabeth Fernandez

[Brilliant]

Kaiser Permanente is contacting 960 mothers whose babies may have been exposed to a health care worker in San Francisco who has an active case of tuberculosis.

The worker was assigned to the postpartum unit in the maternity ward of Kaiser's San Francisco Medical Center to care for mothers and infants. Kaiser officials say the infection risk for patients is very low, but testing will be provided along with treatment if necessary.

Kaiser also is notifying 115 employees who may have been exposed.

The Oakland health maintenance organization learned of the worker's infection Aug. 18. The part-time night shift employee worked at Kaiser from March 10 to Aug. 10 and is no longer an employee there. Kaiser has been working on the matter with the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

"We feel that this is a low-risk exposure, but we want to be aggressive about identifying any potential contacts," said Dr. Stephen Parodi, chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California.

He said that the involved TB strain is a common one that responds well to a regimen of antibiotics. Pediatricians began notifying patients Tuesday.

"We are trying to take a personal approach," Parodi said.

Those potentially exposed are being asked to take a skin test. If the test is positive, further screening will be performed, including chest X-rays...

[Brilliant]

I wonder if the part time worker was an illegal alien?

[Slapshot68]

“I wonder if the part time worker was an illegal alien?”

The fact that the author goes out of her way to avoid mentioning any details about the worker confirms your suspicions.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I wonder if the part time worker was an illegal alien?

My thoughts exactly.

[metmom]

Spreading the disease Americans won’t spread.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I had to take medicine for a year and a half for atypical TB! They didn’t treat with antibiotics back then. I was also locked up in a TB ward for over six months. Couldn’t leave.

[Between the Lines]

The health department said the worker is a young healthy individual who is of Asian ancestry.

http://www.nbc11.com/news/17305261/detail.html

[raybbr]

The health department said the worker is a young healthy individual who is of Asian ancestry.

How can he/she be healthy if it has TB.

[exDemMom]

I wonder why this person wasn’t tested as a routine pre-condition of work in a hospital. Where I work, there is an annual requirement for TB testing. It seems to me that someone at Kaiser really dropped the ball on this; the worker shouldn’t have been given a single duty until after completion of a TB test.

[bcsco]

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[org.whodat]

The health department said the worker is a young healthy individual who is of Asian ancestry.

And we have a bunch of asian illegals as well.

[Chickensoup]

There is one other victim class that has high TB rates: Homosexual men.

It is SanFransico
Male nurses tend to be homosexual
It is a standard form of TB.

My guess is a homosexual.

[TLI]

I wonder if the part time worker was an illegal alien?

Possable.

According to a ASSociated Press reports it was a part-time employee that worked from March to August.

Here they are reporting the source was Asian.

[Malacoda]

I'm guessing the worker is one of those illegal schleps they hire to empty the trash and wipe down the trays, counter and toilets...all with the same rag.

When I had my daughter last August, watching how the housekeeping staff "cleaned" was a real eye-opener. I was less than surprised when I ended up with a post-surg infection.

[angkor]

>>>>And we have a bunch of asian illegals as well.

Immigrant visas require a TB x-ray and physician sign off, and from what I saw when my wife was tested 10 years ago in SE Asia, they were pretty darned serious about it (TB, that is). Even latent TB will require 6 months treatment and re-testing before a visa is issued.

[sheana]

My daughter is in school right now to be a respiratory therapist. She had to do a TB test before she could start rotations at the hospital.
They dropped the ball.

[mewzilla]

Well, if the person is/was here illegally, maybe that’s why. He/she knew that he/she couldn’t pass a TB test.

[Brilliant]

Since they say the worker is “healthy” I am suspicious of the claim that the worker is Asian. It’s probably disinformation intended to protect the City’s sanctuary policy.

[Uncle Hal]

A good friend of ours 3 month old granddaughter was exposed to this when she was born at Kaiser SF. The nurse was Vietnamese. My wife, who is an RN, says all hospital workers are given a test to see if they have TB when they are hired and then every 2 years thereafter. Obviously the hospital screwed up. Truly an ambulance chasers dream.