Man with Drug-Resistant TB Locked-up

Associated Press reported Monday of a 27-year-old man who is locked up for what might be the rest of his life in what could be considered a jail cell. Robert Daniels' cell is equipped with a ventilation system that prevents germs from leaving his cell.

County health officials had gotten a court order allowing them to lock Daniels up do to the fact that he is viewed as a danger to the public. They claimed that he failed to take precautions and wear a mask in public. Daniels has been in this jail cell since July 2006 because he suffers from a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis. This strain of tuberculosis is known as XDR-TB and is untreatable.

According to Daniels the sheriff's deputies will not allow him to shower, his only means of bathing is to use wet wipes. They have taken away his telephone, television, computer and personal radio. Daniels sits in isolation with nothing but masked medical staff as visitors, who only come to give him his medication.

According to health experts, Daniels situation is one that the U.S. public health officials are possibly going to have to deal with more often because of the spread of XDR-TB and other serious diseases.

17 tuberculosis patients were involuntarily quarantined this year in San Antonio, Texas. California had four patients quarantined last year.

Daniels spoke during a telephone interview last month with Associated Press.

"I'm being treated worse than an inmate. I'm all alone. Four walls. Even the door to my room has been locked. I haven't seen my reflection in months."

Daniels has been taking his medication and plans to ask the courts for his release at his court hearing later this month. Daniels lawyer has refused to discuss Daniels' prognosis.

Daniels is maintaining that he did not willing try to pose a health risk. According to Daniels who has spent the last 15 years in Russia prior to his diagnoses, he was 26 years old and did not know how TB worked, since no one had ever told him.

Tuberculosis is caused by a bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually targets the lungs. It is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. In most cases of TB the infected person can be cured with a series of several different drugs. In the case of XDR-TB a person who is infected can not be cured because the bacteria is resistant to all known TB drugs.

Sources:

Associated Press:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/ap_on_he_me/tuberculosis_confinement;_ylt=AlTgKRHEo6YJ5uwDP2_4EPUR.3QA

msnbc:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17915965/page/2/