Over 100 Poultry Workers in South Carolina Test Positive for TB

According to a new report issued on June 20^th by the on-line website of the Greenville News, South Carolina State officials reported that after formal evaluation, more than 100 poultry workers exhibited a positive TB test at a local poultry-processing plant.

Acting on reported TB case of one of the workers at the Columbia Farms factory, Health Officials in conjunction with other authorities decided to formally evaluate the entire processing plant and conduct a close-contact investigation. There were 900 workers at this site, but in accordance to a CDC algorithm that assesses risk contacts, officials only tested 286 of the factories employees. Out of this group, 131exhibited a positive skin test for tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB, Tuberculum Bacillum) is chiefly caused by a species of bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis. This pathogen usually infects the lungs and can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing or talking. According to the World Health Organization, one third of the world's population is currently infected with the TB bacillus. Approximately, only 5 to 10% of people who become infected with the TB bacillus (and are HIV negative) become infectious or sick during the course of their lives. If left untreated, approximately half of these infected cases may result in death.

As stated by the Greenville News website, Thom Berry, spokesman for The State Department of Health and Environmental Control, asserted that "the positive skin tests on the 131 workers implied that they were likely exposed to TB at some point during their lives." A positive TB skin test can also be present in individuals from other countries that have had TB immunization using the attenuated form of the bovine bacillus called BCG.

Out of the workers that exhibited the positive skin test, 63 were subjected to X-rays after which officials found two possible causes of active disease. Apparently, these individuals were not symptomatic and they are currently undergoing detail confirmation tests. In addition, they will be placed on a specific regimen of antibiotics for approximately 6 to 12 months.

Officials were not surprised by the number of positive skin cases in light of the fact that a large portion of the factory workers were foreign-born. The CDC reports that as compared to individuals born in the U.S., people from other countries are 9 times more like to be infected with tuberculosis. Health officials had already assumed that most of the workers that tested positive became infected in their countries or origin.

According to Berry, investigations regarding TB infection are quite common in South Carolina and added that there was no danger of the chickens spreading the disease. Officials also plan to follow many of the workers on a long-term basis.

Sources: The Greenville News: http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/NEWS01/706200388/1004/NEWS01

World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/index.html

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/tb/faqs/qa_introduction.htm#Intro1