Health Department investigates 3rd case of TB out of Monterey County Jail

UPDATE 2/26/2018 5:45 p.m.: The Monterey County Health Department is investigating a case of active tuberculosis at the Monterey County Jail. They say an unnamed inmate recently tested positive for the bacterial disease.

“We screen everybody coming in,” said Cmdr. John Thornburg. “It’s part of our normal protocol, which is how we caught this case and just the difficulties in confirming that it was a positive test in this particular case, but everybody that comes in is screened, we do test and we will follow protocols.”

The Sheriff’s Office notified the Monterey County Health Department, which launched an investigation. Investigators have been able to identify where he was and who may have been exposed. One of those places was the Monterey County Superior Courthouse in Salinas, though we don’t know when he was there.

“We’ve been meeting with the Sheriff’s Department, with the Probation Department, District Attorney, court system and other departments to identify any individuals that work for these organizations that may have been exposed to this active case of tuberculosis,” said Monterey County Health Officer Dr. Ed Moreno.

They don’t believe the public was exposed at this point, but if they later have reason to believe other people were exposed, will expand their investigation.

No word where the inmate is recovering or what his condition is, but Moreno said the usual course of action is to keep a patient in isolation until they are found to no longer be contagious.

Meantime, the Sheriff’s Office says anyone who may have been exposed should come in for a screening.

“If anybody believes they’ve come in contact with this person, or for some reason they think there’s some sort of exposure, contact us, contact the Monterey County Health Department, we can arrange to make whatever testing and/or options that are available,” Thornburg said.

This is the third case of tuberculosis related to the Monterey County Jail within the last 13 months. There was a case in January 2017 and again in August 2017. Thornburg did not believe there was a relation with the most recent case.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, TB usually attacks the lungs but it can also infect other parts of the body like kidneys, spine and brain. TB is spread through the air from one person to another. It is not spread by shaking someone’s hand, sharing food or drinks or toothbrushes or kissing.

Symptoms include a cough that last three weeks or longer, pain in the chest, coughing up blood or certain kinds of phlegm. Other symptoms are weakness, weight loss, chills, fever and night sweats.

ORIGINAL POST: The Monterey County Health Department is investigating a case of tuberculosis at the Monterey County Jail. They say this is the third case of its kind in the last 14 months.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office says the inmate recently tested positive during a TB screening. No word where he is receiving treatment. The inmate had been at the jail for several weeks so at this point, they say it’s unknown if he got TB at the jail or was infected with the bacterial disease before he was booked.

Staff who may have been exposed are being told the public is not at risk at this point.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, TB usually attacks the lungs but it can also infect other parts of the body like kidneys, spine and brain. TB is spread through the air from one person to another. It is not spread by shaking someone’s hand, sharing food or drinks or toothbrushes or kissing.

Symptoms include a cough that last three weeks or longer, pain in the chest, coughing up blood or certain kinds of phlegm. Other symptoms are weakness, weight loss, chills, fever and night sweats.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is offering screening for any staff or inmates who believe they may have been exposed to TB.

KION’s Mariana Hicks has the full story at 5 and 6 p.m.