3 patients test positive for active tuberculosis in Rancho Mirage

Health officials are urging about 500 patients and employees of Eisenhower Medical Center to be tested for tuberculosis after three patients were diagnosed with an active form of the respiratory illness.

According to a news release Thursday morning, the three patients are being treated and are expected to recover. They are not being identified because of confidentiality rules. There is no indication that the cases at Eisenhower are related, and Riverside County health officials have not determined how the illness was contracted.

Riverside County heath officials held a news conference where they provided more details on the outbreak and talked about the steps people may need to take if they were possibly exposed.

“We say very low, the risk is minimum. but we can’t say no risk,” said Barbara Cole public health director for disease control at the Riverside County Department of Public Health.

“Someone has to share that air, inhale that air into their lungs to become infected. now, the majority of people who get exposed do not become infected,” said Cole.

Officials say the cases were discovered after the first of the year and have since sent notices to nearly 500 patients and staff to get tested for the illness. Those who test positive will be referred to an X-ray evaluation for appropriate treatment, officials said.

“We look at family members. we look at where else the person’s been, are they working, where do they work, is there exposure there. are they in school?” Cole said.

Meanwhile, hospital staff say they work with county officials into helping contain any areas that are possibly contaminated.

“Based on the size of the room and the air exchanges, we need to consider it potentially contaminated for 30 minutes. so, when these letters go out, it goes to anyone who was in that waiting room for 30 minutes to an hour, whenever we determine, until we determine that room is safe to breathe,” said Michael Connors, infection preventionist for the Eisenhower Medical Center.

But officials say they want to educate others about the illness while reassuring the low-risk of it spreading moving forward.

“There’s no outbreak, we don’t think everyone has to be in a panic, but we do want them to take it seriously, and contact their healthcare provider, public health or the hospital, and we can discuss testing arrangements,” Cole said.

Officials say they are being treated and they’re expected to recover. They say both active and latent tuberculosis are treatable — by taking antibiotics. Active patients will be taking them typically from 6 to 9 months.

Symptoms of Active Tuberculosis Include: Productive Cough

Unexplained Weight Loss

Fever & Fatigue

Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. A person with inactive TB can’t spread it to others.

Cole said it may be uncommon to have three cases diagnosed at the same time from the same hospital, but emphasized there is no cause for alarm.

“There are no indications the illness has spread beyond the initial patients, but the testing will provide peace of mind for those who receive the notifications and get tested,” said Cole. “We are working closely with the hospital to keep the community safe.”

Anyone concerned about TB can contact their health care provider or the Public Health Department Disease Control at 951-358-5107.

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