AHS notifying individuals of potential tuberculosis exposure

EDMONTON - Alberta Health Services (AHS) has today notified 323 individuals potentially exposed to a confirmed case of tuberculosis (TB), in the Edmonton Zone. Notification letters include information on arrangements for standard TB assessment and screening and treatment, if required.

The exposure was contained to an Edmonton Zone continuing care facility, and is thus not a risk to general public.

Only those who receive notification letters from AHS are considered exposed to this case. Risk of transmission to these individuals is low, and the case does not present any ongoing risk at the facility.

Though this case is not a risk to general public, we are informing the public of this case and our follow-up actions, as a matter of transparency.

Our TB Services and Communicable Disease Control Teams, together with our Edmonton Zone Medical Officer of Health, are working to manage the follow-up screening that is routine in response to any potential exposure to a case of active infectious TB.

We thank these teams and their support staff for their response. These efforts are in keeping with our commitment to high quality care, and our values of excellence and safety.

So as to protect patient confidentiality, no further case-specific details will be released by AHS, including the name of the continuing care facility at which the exposure took place.

For general information on TB, please click here. Anyone with questions can call Health Link 24/7 at 811.

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