Health department encourages TB screening

In observance of World Tuberculosis Day on March 24, the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center is encouraging those who are in high-risk groups or provide services to those in high-risk groups to be screened for TB. People in the following high-risk groups should ask their healthcare providers for a TB test:

• Those who have had close contact with persons known or suspected of having TB disease.

• Those foreign born where TB has a high prevalence, such as countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, or individuals who travel to those areas.

• Residents and employees of high-risk congregate settings, such as nursing homes, mental health institutions, homeless shelters, alcohol and drug treatment centers, and other long-term care facilities.

• Medically under-served or low-income populations with risk factors.

• High-risk racial or ethnic minorities, such as Asians, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans and migrant workers.

• Children exposed to adults in high-risk groups.

• People who inject illicit drugs.

• Those recently infected with TB, or who have a history of inadequate TB treatment.

• Those who have HIV infection or another condition that suppresses the immune system and therefore puts them at high risk for TB disease if exposed.

• Health care workers who serve high-risk clients such as those mentioned above.

"While people tend to forget about TB these days, it is still a worldwide epidemic affecting more than 8 million people every year," said Tony Beltran, the Health Department's executive director. "Cases of TB are diagnosed every year in Lake County. We still need to be very vigilant about this disease on local and international levels."

If you are in one or more of the high risk groups, it is important to get a TB test. Most people in the high risk groups are unaware that they have been infected, unless they get a TB test or develop symptoms of the active disease, such as a cough lingering for longer than three weeks, night sweats, fever, tiring easily or weight loss.

The average annual number of active and contagious TB cases in Lake County over the past five years was 10. However, more than 400 individuals were identified as contacts, which are people who have been exposed to TB.

Contacts also need to be tested to determine if they have the latent (dormant) infection that could later develop into the active disease. In 2015, 193 Lake County residents were newly diagnosed with latent TB infection. Those with latent TB infection do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms and are not contagious.

One of the health department's strategic plan priorities is access to prevention and wellness. In line with this plan, the health department's TB program provides a variety of services such as TB tests, X-rays, medications, physician evaluation and consultation, health education and contact investigations. Such efforts help prevent the transmission of tuberculosis into the community.

The health department's TB clinic is at 515 Keller Ave. in Waukegan. Operating hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Skin tests are available Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and must be read between 48 and 72 hours after administration. A patient who does not return within 72 hours will need to be rescheduled for another test. Chest X-rays are available by appointment only.

For more information about TB services, visit health.lakecountyil.gov/Population/Pages/Tuberculosis-Clinic.aspx or call (847) 377-8700.