Tuberculosis Outbreak in Atlanta Homeless Shelters Kills Three

A tuberculosis outbreak sweeping through Atlanta’s homeless shelters has claimed three lives, says the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Georgia Health News reports that 28 people have been infected with the TB bacteria this year, which is an increase from May’s 16 infections. The strain of tuberculosis wending its way through the homeless shelters is resistant to the first-line treatment against it, but can be defeated by more aggressive medications.

Homeless shelters and overflow facilities are fertile grounds for TB to spread due to their poor hygiene and cramped quarters. Volunteers who work at these facilities to help homeless people are also at risk for contracting the disease; two aid workers have already been infected.

Public health officials are urging those who work with the homeless in Atlanta to get screened for TB immediately.

The national and state rates for TB infections are dropping, though Georgia’s infection rate is still higher than the national average.

Photo: Tuberculosis bacterium. Courtesy of CDC website.