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Hearing for Tacoma woman with tuberculosis
A woman in her mid-70's is on the run from authorities. She has tuberculosis, and is refusing to isolate.
TACOMA, Wash. - A Tacoma woman refusing treatment for tuberculosis has been detained by Pierce County deputies.
The woman, believed to be in her 70s, has been brought to a ‘negative pressure room’ to isolate and undergo her treatment, which has been ordered by a Pierce County judge.
TB is curable with medication but if left untreated, results in death. People with active, untreated infections are contagious and represent a risk to others, according to the health department.
The health department has been working with the woman for over a year on isolating and getting treatment. They did not specify why she was refusing treatment.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Woman with tuberculosis refusing treatment; health department could seek court order to force her hand
Anyone exposed to a person with TB can become infected, but TB is not easily spread—you need to be in a closed space for an extended amount of time with the infected person.
"Most people we contact are happy to get the treatment they need," said Nigel Turner, division director of Communicable Disease Control. "Occasionally people refuse treatment and isolation. When that happens, we take steps to help keep the community safe."
The health department has legal authority to seek a court order to get patients into treatment, though it's rarely been done, Turner said.
Turner told FOX 13 that in the last 20 years, they've only had to turn to legal avenues three times.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Arrest warrant issued for Tacoma woman refusing tuberculosis treatment
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Treatment can take up to nine months.