Tuberculosis Case Discovered at Westchester County Jail

Westchester County officials have decided to go ahead with a Holiday Mass on Monday at Westchester County Jail despite a 45-year old male inmate testing positive for active tuberculosis, they announced.

The mass is scheduled to be conducted at the Valhalla-based facility by Cardinal Dolan, and attended by County Executive Rob Astorino and others.

“Both County Executive Rob Astorino and Cardinal Dolan have been briefed on the situation and the pathology of TB and both agree that there is minimal risk,” officials said in a statement.

According to the county’s Department of Health, there are approximately 30 to 40 cases of TB in the county each year, but this is the first confirmed case at the jail in many years.

At present time, the inmate is being treated at the Westchester Medical Center under the watch of the Department of Corrections (DOC).

The DOH is working with both the New York State Department of Health and the DOC to identify, evaluate, and treat as necessary inmates, staff members, and any others who were exposed to the infected inmate.

According to DOH officials, TB is much less infectious than many common infections such as chickenpox.

“The bacteria grow very slowly and it takes prolonged exposure and close contact with an individual with TB before a person can become infected,” officials said. “Following exposure, the disease can be prevented and is generally completely curable with a course of antibiotics.”