Eastern State Hospital warns of possible tuberculosis exposure

Patients, staff and visitors at Eastern State Hospital may have been exposed to tuberculosis during the months of April through July .

The exposure came from a staff member at Eastern State who had active tuberculosis while working there for several months this spring, said Cynthia Shipley, media relations manager at the Washington Department of Health and Social Services. The staff member notified Eastern State Hospital of the case on July 30.

The exposure window is wide, from April 11 to July 14.

Eastern State Hospital sent out a letter on Aug. 4 to notify patients that they may have been exposed to tuberculosis during their visit.

While exposure was possible during that time frame, it isn’t guaranteed.

“Your health and safety are our top priority,” the Eastern State Hospital letter said. “We understand that this may cause you unanticipated concern and are here to support you through this process.”

Kelli Hawkins, the director of public information at the Spokane Regional Health District, confirmed that there have not been any other tuberculosis cases discovered yet.

“We’re still in the early stages with the targeted screenings,” Hawkins said. “It will take a while for those results to come in.”

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that primarily impacts the lungs. It spreads through airborne particles when someone who has tuberculosis coughs, speaks or sneezes. Like most bacteria, exposure does not promise infection. But, Hawkins says testing is critical.

“It’s eight to 10 weeks before you know if you’re in the clear,” Hawkins said.

Tuberculosis has latent and active stages, meaning a person can have tuberculosis but not be contagious or have symptoms. But, the bacterial infection can become active anytime.

Symptoms for tuberculosis include a persistent cough, fever, chills, night sweats, fatigue, sudden weight loss and chest pain.

Eastern State Hospital is recommending testing immediately following a tuberculosis exposure and follow-up testing eight to 10 weeks after exposure. The tuberculosis bacteria is slow to react, which is why that follow-up testing is important. Tuberculosis screening includes a symptoms evaluation and blood test.