Case of TB confirmed in Grant County resident

Health officials seeing tuberculosis increase with four confirmed cases

GRANT COUNTY — The Grant and Adams County Health Districts have reported a case of tuberculosis (TB) found in a temporary employee of the J.R. Simplot Company in Othello.

In a statement released by the J.R. Simplot Company, the employee worked at the site between April and early August.

As the infected person is a resident of Grant County, GCHD officials responded and were notified Wednesday of the case, which has been confirmed as active TB.

J.R. Simplot Company spokesperson, Fred Zerza said the company was notified on Thursday of the TB case from Barrett Business Services, a temp agency out of Moses Lake where the infected individual was referred from.

Health district officials from both Adams and Grant Counties were notified later that same day.

The J.R. Simplot Company, a potato processing plant in Othello, employs 400 people of which approximately 40 are temporary employees who are hired throughout the year, Zerza said.

Peggy Grigg, director of personal health services with the GCHD, said an active case means there are symptoms present and there is a possibility of spreading to other individuals.

TB is a bacterial disease that is spread from person to person through the air, such as when someone sneezes or coughs. It usually affects the lungs, but can also affect lymph nodes, kidneys, bones, joints and other parts of the body.

Symptoms include fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss and a persistent cough. Most persons who are infected with TB never develop active TB. In those who do, symptoms may arise two to three months, and in some cases years, after infection.

Anyone can contract TB, with those at highest risk for contraction being persons with weakened immune systems, the elderly, persons at 10 percent or more below ideal body weight and those with other medical risks such as: diabetes mellitus, prolonged corticosteroid therapy, immunosuppressive therapy, cancer and silicosis.

Alexander Brzezny, health officer with the GCHD, said at least nine or 10 probable cases of TB have been investigated by the health district since January of 2005.

Four of those cases have been confirmed for TB, including the latest case out of Othello, which shows an increase over the last three years, Brzezny added.

Two of those cases have been linked to another case from 2003 which constitutes an outbreak of TB in Grant County, and are thought to be passed on through close contact which could include sharing rooms and utensils, and being within close proximity to an infected person for four hours or longer, Brzezny said.

Prior to 2003, the most cases reported was in 2001 with five active cases confirmed for TB.

As to why Grant County is seeing an increase, Brzezny said it could stem in part from the growth of the county and seeing more people coming into the area who may not even know they have TB residing in their bodies.

Brzezny said while lab tests have not confirmed a linkage between the latest case and those from 2003, it is a very likely possibility.

"More growth and more people means more TB," Brzezny said. "What is not by chance is that these guys have indeed spent some time together. The more time you spend with a person, the more chance (there is) of getting it."

The infected individual at the J.R. Simplot Company in Othello has been prescribed four antibiotics for a period of at least six months, Grigg said. Those include: Isoniazid, Rifampin, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol.

Lab tests will be ongoing every two to four weeks to see if the presence of TB bacteria in the infected individual is diminishing or increasing, Brzezny said.

A meeting was also held Thursday with staff members at the J.R. Simplot Company and a notice posted at the plant to inform employees of the diagnosis.

Zerza said there has been slight apprehension from J.R. Simplot employees about the reported case of TB, but work at the plant has gone on as scheduled, with meetings planned throughout the week to answer questions and inform employees about what TB is, how it is spread and how to avoid infection.

The infected individual, who worked on a processing line with raw potatoes, does not pose a threat to contaminating any of the potato products, Brzezny said.

That was confirmed by a health officer with the ACHD and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention out of Atlanta.

Health district officials have not reported that any other employees at the J.R. Simplot Company are showing symptoms at this time.

Those employees determined by the GCHD to have had prolonged exposure with the infected individual will be contacted by health district officials.

Kate Brueske, administrator with the Adams County Health Department, said no cases have been reported this year or last in residents in Adams County.

There was one case in 2003.

According to figures released in a statement of the GCHD, in 2002 Washington state reported 252 cases of TB with King, Yakima, Clark, Kitsap and Snohomish counties with the highest incidents rates.

To prevent the spread of TB, residents are advised to cover mouth and nose areas when coughing or sneezing, and those with symptoms or confirmed cases are to strictly adhere to prescribed medications.

For more information, call the state TB program at 360-236-3447.