Oklahoma: Officials Confirm One Tuberculosis Case in Sapulpa

Oklahoma health officials confirmed one case of TB among 500 workers in a manufacturing plant who were tested for the disease. According to Dr. Jon Tillinghast, tuberculosis control officer for the Oklahoma Department of Health, the victim is a foreign-born worker of Bartlett-Collins Indiana Glass, which instituted mandatory testing for employees on Monday. Tillinghast said he expects to find several more infections but few cases of TB disease. One in three employees could have a TB infection, but that does not mean they have the disease, Tillinghast said Tuesday. Close to one-third of the plant's employees are foreign-born and could have contracted the infection before coming to the United States, added Tillinghast. More than 50 percent of TB cases in the United States originate in people born in other countries, he said. Employees showing signs of infection will be treated with a six-month course of medication, Tillinghast said.

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