TB cases trigger tighter screening at Kane County shelters

Homeless shelters in Kane and DuPage counties are being urged to aggressively screen new clients for tuberculosis after two active cases were confirmed at Hesed House in Aurora.

One of the patients currently is staying at Hesed House and was diagnosed last week, Kane County Health Department Executive Director Paul Kuehnert said Thursday. The second patient lived at the same shelter until June 2009.

Kuehnert said authorities are performing genetic tests to learn if the cases are linked.

"The findings have prompted us to ask Hesed House and every other shelter in Kane County to ask each client they take in about coughs lasting longer than three weeks combined with weight loss (and) night sweats," Kuehnert said. "We need to get them tested and evaluated early to contain whatever amount of TB has entered the population."

The Kane County Health Department has evaluated 150 homeless residents so far and found no new cases.

DuPage Health Department spokesman Dave Hass said DuPage PADS in Wheaton has been notified of the concerns and a memo regarding the cases has been distributed to all hospitals and health care centers in DuPage along with the county jail and juvenile detention center.

Roughly 6,000 people volunteer in some capacity at Hesed House, but Kuehnert said the health department is focusing on about 30 to 50 who spent eight hours or more a week working closely with the infected residents.

A letter was sent to those volunteers informing them they should get a skin test either at the health department or their doctor's office.

Kuehnert said the two confirmed TB cases are isolated and pose no risk to the community.

"You need to have a lot of direct exposure to catch tuberculosis," he said. "It's not like the common cold or influenza. You need to have had prolonged contact with respiratory droplets from an infected person."

Symptoms of tuberculosis include a prolonged cough, coughing blood, fever, night sweats and weight loss.

The health department offers TB skin testing at its Aurora and Elgin offices. Call (866) 233-9493 to make an appointment.