Public health officials said more than 700 newborn and 43 employees of Providence Memorial Hospital, El Paso, Texas, might have been exposed to a worker who was suffering from deadly tuberculosis.
The El Paso Department of Public Health reported that the employee, who was working in a nursery at Providence Memorial Hospital, previously interacted with many patients. He was later diagnosed with tuberculosis.
The Health Department also revealed that between September 2013 and August 2014, a total of 706 babies and almost 43 employees are estimated to have possibly been exposed to the infected worker.
Hospital authorities and health officials are trying to contact the families who might have been affected with the disease and they will be provided screening and follow-up care free of cost.
The Health Department wrote a letter to the affected families saying, 'TB is a serious but treatable disease that is spread through the air. Although TB is not easy to catch from another person, we want to be extra sure that your child is examined'.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, tuberculosis is a potentially deadly disease that spreads through bacteria that stays hidden in the body of an individual for a long time. The bacterial infection spreads when the infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks to any other person.
In addition, the CDC said babies and people who have weakened immune system have higher possibility to get affected by the disease.
Carrie Williams, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said the number of people exposed is large and that is why it is a serious issue.
Williams asserted that although it was one of the largest cases of TB exposure, the disease is treatable.
After the discovery of the infected employee, inspections were conducted in the hospital. The inspections unveiled that several rules were violated. These violations could even affect the Medicare funding of the Hospital, said David Wright, Deputy Regional Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
