Georgia: Judge Commits Man Suspected of Having TB

After not complying with a judge's order to submit to TB tests and resume treatment, a Macon, Ga., man -- who denies that he has TB -- was committed to an inpatient infectious disease treatment center Wednesday. Superior Court Judge Phillip Brown ruled that Rickey Martin, 39, will remain at the treatment center for nine weeks. During that time, if tests reveal that Martin's TB in contagious, he must stay for six months of treatment.

After testing positive for TB last year, Martin began a six-month treatment program that he left nine weeks before completing. Martin was ordered by Brown earlier this month to complete the medical treatment and submit to three TB tests. He took the initial test, which could not be processed, and did not return for the others. After lawyers for the Department of Human Resources TB Control Unit filed a contempt of court motion, Martin took the second and third tests. In court Wednesday, Martin said he did not realize he was to take treatments until after the test results came back.

DHR communicable diseases specialist Phil McDevitt said the test takes six to eight weeks to process. If Martin, who has not been treated for 10 weeks, does not resume treatment within two weeks, he must restart the six-month program, McDevitt said.

In September, Martin's 11-month-old son died of tubercular meningitis. Georgia law allows the DHR to take a person to court if he or she has TB and refuses treatment.

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