Outbreak of tuberculosis at Fruta Bomba Limited
An outbreak of tuberculosis amongst an unspecified number of employees at Fruta Bomba Limited, a papaya processing facility in the Corozal District, has been reported. It is believed that upwards of twenty-eight field workers have been afflicted with the disease following the diagnosis of an employee who exhibited symptoms of pulmonary infection. Despite being quarantined the spread of the disease is taking its toll on the company’s workforce. News Five understands that officials from the Ministry of Health were present at the factory today to assess the situation. While the estimated number of those affected may only be a drop in Fruta Bomba’s human resources, concerns have been raised about the well-being of the remainder of its staff. A meeting was held this afternoon by the company’s management to find ways to mitigate the spread of the disease. Fruta Bomba employs close to a thousand workers, a majority of whom work in the fields planting and harvesting papayas.
A family member was talking to a Doctor at the Belmopan hospital whosaid he had seen about 5 cases of TB last week. There is a lady currently hospitalized with the condition at the Belmopan Hospital. Perhaps this incident is not limited to the Papaya Industry (Fruta Bomba).
28 persons with tuberculosis in one workplace!! that place needs to be closed down to investigate this epidemic!!!!let us hear from the Health Team how did this start and why is it spreding so fast. is it a superbug, resistant to first line treatment.
BEar in mind they have family members too!!! The impact can be wider than what is reported!!!
These people family members need to be tested for TB and treatment should start right away to curb an epidemic. Those taking the treatments need to take the pills at the same time daily to make sure it works as it should. The treatment for TB is not cheap so we need to nip this in the butt before it becomes a big problem, quarantine is necessary. This is already a 9month – 2yr treatment as it is. I hope the hospital in Belmopan has a ward for contagious and infectious disease so that they can keep it from spreading especially since one person has already infected 20+ others.
WHY are we STILL HAVING THIS PROBLEM?????????
WHERE IS THE MINISTRY oF HEALTH??? They need to GET BUSY FAST!!!
If we kill it within our boarders………. ALL IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE SCREENED.
THANK GOD THERE IS NOW A CURE…….. …….Once upon a time there was no cure.
Hopefully they are not reporting infection as disease. With infection, you have the germ in your body with a normal chest x-ray…you’re not sick, can’t spread it to anyone and it is recommended that you take treatment (INH) for 9 months. With disease, the person may be symptomatic..cough, sputum (phlegm) production, coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss, night sweats…treatment is for a minimum of 6 months depending on side effects to medication, drug resistance, immuno-compromised status.
Given that, the health dept will need to establish if it’s infection or disease. It takes up to 8 weeks for TB cultures to grow.