Global Security Newswire

Health officials in one Virginia county near Washington, D.C., have begun an investigation into a tuberculosis case that has seen one person treated for the contagious disease and at least 32 others monitored after they tested positive for exposure, the Washington Times reported today (see GSN, June 20, 2007).

The official reaction was triggered in January when a U.S. Postal Service worker in Chantilly, Va., was discovered to be actively ill with tuberculosis.  More than 120 other workers were subsequently tested.  Of those, at least 32 were found to have been exposed to tuberculosis, but chest X-rays showed they were not ill.  The initial worker underwent treatment and returned to his post.

The Fairfax County Health Department informed workers at the postal facility directly and through their union, but opted not to release a public notice, said an official.

"Because of the circumstances surrounding the case, the determination was made that there was an insufficient risk to justify undue alarm to the general public," said Health Department spokesman Michael Andrews.  "The exposure risk was minimal at best to the customers going in and out of the post office."

One infectious disease expert said that was an appropriate response if the sick worker did not interact with postal customers.

"If there wasn't good evidence of direct exposure to the public ... that seems like a perfectly reasonable explanation," said Donald Thea of Boston University's School of Public Health.

A labor official, however, said the union had not been informed.

"I'm outraged," said American Postal Workers Union local leader Douglas Sapp (Jim McElhatton, Washington Times, April 1).