LIMA — Allen County commissioners have announced known cases of tuberculosis in the area. Tuberculosis is known as a bacterial disease that affects the human lungs. Now tuberculosis patients are being treated and in isolation. The Allen County Health Department has notified and tested everyone who came in contact with the victims.
On Thursday morning, the commissioners released an official statement.
“The Allen County Commissioners Office is currently working with Allen County Public Health as they respond to TB cases in Allen County. Allen County Public Health has conducted contact tracing and believes the cases were in the same family. Our office will continue to work with public health officials to ensure they have the resources to treat and house infected individuals. If you have questions about current cases or TB, please contact the Allen County Health Department.”
“It’s all hands on deck for us,” said Allen County Commissioner Corey Noonan. “We are fortunate to have a great team in Allen County. We get involved because if people can’t pay for the services they need, state law requires the county to do so. Health makes a big deal.”
Commissioners thanked the Department of Health for its role in keeping the community safe.
The Allen County Health Department told community members that the cases are limited to one family and do not pose a threat.
“We do have cases of tuberculosis, as we have repeatedly over the last ten years,” said Dr. Wilfred Ellis. “We are pursuing these cases with the Department of Health and we are doing so with the hope that we will keep it under control. The reason we are in good shape is that TB is caused by a very slow growing bacterium. The bacteria you can see in strep will multiply in milliseconds, while the bacteria in tuberculosis double in almost a matter of days.’
Allen County did have one case in 2021 and four reported cases in the last 10 years, according to the Health Department. Cases of tuberculosis are not common but still occur in the United States.
For more information, contact the Department of Health at 419-228-4457.
https://www.limaohio.com/top-stories/2022/09/29/tuberculosis-found-in-allen-county/
