Migrant farm workers test positive for TB

By Rose Hooper

Last week in Jackson County, 7 out of 23 individuals tested positive for tuberculosis. But a positive test does not necessarily indicate there is active disease, Turpin said.

Through a state-funded grant, his department is screening targeted populations at risk for the disease. The first round of tests was conducted at a migrant farm in the Cashiers area.

Tuberculosis is an infection by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It most often infects the lungs, but may also affect many other organs.

The initial infection most often results in a mild to moderate respiratory illness. Symptoms include prolonged cough, bloody sputum, fever, night sweats and weight loss.

When the disease is active, it can be spread to others, but usually only by close daily contact. The bacteria spreads through the air when a person with the disease coughs or sneezes.

When a person breathes in TB bacteria, the bacteria can settle in the lungs and begin to grow. If the immune system can't stop the growth, the bacteria become active.

"A positive test does not mean the person is contagious," said Turpin. "It can simply mean they have been exposed, but the bacteria is inactive."

The good news, Turpin said, is those with the latent TB infection who are not sick can take medicine so they will never develop the disease.

People cannot get infected with the disease through handshakes, sitting on toilet seats or sharing dishes and utensils with someone who has TB.

The TB test consists of injecting a tiny amount of fluid into the skin of the forearm. After two or three days the site is inspected for a reaction, specifically a bump. A positive test is where the bump is greater than 10 mm in diameter.

"For the seven in Jackson County who tested positive, we are doing further evaluations," said Sharon Mace, a health department nurse. "Our next step is chest X-rays. If they have any of the symptoms, we are also taking sputum samples.

That's where they cough real deep and we take a phlegm sample and have the culture evaluated."

Turpin said he is proud of this county's Migrant Farm Worker Health Program.

"Many in this population can't afford going to health care facilities for tests, so we take these services out to them. If an individual tests positive for TB, we'll also see if they are at risk for other diseases. Our goal is to be proactive in detection and prevention," Turpin said.

Mace said migrant farmers in the Whittier area would be tested in April.

In the late 1940s scientists discovered the first of several drugs now used to treat TB. As a result, TB slowly began to disappear in the U.S.

But TB has made somewhat of a comeback. In 2000, more than 16,000 cases were reported in the U.S. Many were from populations that did not receive childhood inoculations.

Back to Archive: 03/07/02.