McCracken inmates sought for TB tests

By Anne Thrower athrower@paducahsun.com--270.575.8653

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

About 1,500 people who spent time in the McCracken County Regional Jail from early September to the end of November have received letters notifying them that they need to be tested for tuberculosis.

The precautionary testing began Tuesday at the health department office in Paducah.

“It’s very time consuming, and it’s very expensive,” said Sharon Godec, nursing director of the Purchase District Health Department. “But what we are trying to do is to protect the public’s health.” She estimated thousands of dollars will be spent to give the skin tests to current and now former inmates.

On Tuesday 75 people showed up for the test. “We would have liked to have more,” she said.

The letters were sent Dec. 27 after an inmate tested positive for TB in November. The day the male inmate tested positive he was isolated at the hospital until state corrections officials could transport him to a state facility, McCracken County Jailer Bill Adams said Tuesday. The inmate has been treated and is expected back at the jail soon, he said.

The inmate’s name is being withheld because of medical privacy reasons. But Adams did say the man had connections to a couple who tested positive at the jail in June.

Upon his arrival at the jail, the man said he tested negative on a recent TB test — information that jail officials were able to verify, Adams said. However, when the jail gave its own test, his exposure to TB was detected, Adams said.

In early June, more than 400 inmates were given skin tests and 33 were given follow-up chest X-rays. No one had the disease. When all the inmates were tested again in December, only about 10 had to have the follow-up X-ray and none had the disease, Godec said. But the 10 — like the 33 in June — were put on medications as a preventive measure, she said.

Health officials should know later this week if any of the people who had the TB tests Tuesday or will have them today at the McCracken County Health Center will have to have a follow-up chest X-ray.

Godec said the health department has received about 200 calls regarding the letters. Many of the letters have been returned because the health department, through information from the jail, did not have current addresses, she said.

Godec said people who were at the jail, but have not received the letter, should go to the McCracken County Health Center on Kentucky Avenue or at other area health departments to ask about the tests.

Testing will continue today from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Results will be read by the end of the week. If necessary, additional times can be arranged for testing.

“We want to offer everyone the opportunity to receive the skin test,” Godec said. “We try to stress the reason for the testing is to protect them.”

Godec said some may ignore the letters. “We are trying to do the best we can,” she said.

Meanwhile, Adams said the jail now gives all inmates the skin test before they are issued jail clothes. As part of an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department, jail officials had agreed to test inmates within 14 days. But Adams said he prefers to give the test as soon as possible because of the apparent increase in TB exposure.