Active tuberculosis reported at Oxnard Amazon facility

Original article here.

A worker at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Oxnard has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis, and though scores of people were possibly exposed to the disease, Ventura County Public Health said the general populace is safe.

Public Health said in a Thursday press release that the diagnosis was recent and that about 180 people were potentially exposed.

On Monday and Tuesday, the VCPH Tuberculosis Program coordinated with Amazon to notify employees and offer educational programs. Free testing for close contacts will be offered next week.

TB is primarily a lung-based disease caused by bacteria that are spread by activities like coughing and sneezing, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The primary treatment for TB is antibiotics, though “some forms of the bacteria no longer respond well to treatments,” the Mayo Clinic noted.

People who are infected with TB typically contain inactive bacteria in their bodies, preventing transmission, according to VCPH.

However, about 10% of those infected become sick with an active infection at some point, allowing the disease to spread.

Another case of active tuberculosis was reported in a Riverside County child on Thursday. The unidentified student at Raymond Cree Middle School in Palm Springs was briefly hospitalized, then allowed to continue recovery at home.