The Chief Public Health Officer has sent out a notification to the public to inform them of the potential exposure of Tuberculosis.
As a result, a precautionary Public Health Advisory has been issued, and anyone who was present at the Stanton Territorial Hospital on June 19th from 8:58 am to 3:21 pm is advised to contact the NWT 811 Health Line for further direction.
TB mainly affects the lungs, and can be transmitted through air particles. TB is a slow growing bacteria, and in many cases, people who have been exposed will never become fully infected or develop symptoms. Those who are at the highest risk of TB are those with weak immune systems, young people (typically under the age of 5), and the elderly.
In an unfortunate coincidence, Yellowknife Public Health is currently experiencing reduced services. A spokesperson for the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority shared the following statement.
“This reduction began June 28th and is scheduled to run through July 8th. Please note that this date is subject to review and may be extended if necessary. During this reduction of services, appointment requests will be triaged, and no new appointments will be booked with public health unless identified as urgent. Any patients who had non-urgent scheduled appointments have already been notified and their appointments have been reviewed and rescheduled, as required.
“This reduction of services is being done to ensure capacity to respond to the outbreak of Tuberculosis in Yellowknife that has been declared by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO). By deferring non-urgent appointments, Yellowknife Public Health will be able to divert capacity to ensure there are appointments available for individuals who require follow up related to the outbreak.
“If people have general questions or want to learn more about tuberculosis outbreaks, please call 811.”
