BHP Case picked up early
Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 02/01) - Health officials are "casting a wide net" in the tuberculosis scare at BHP's Misery camp.
One hundred and seven kitchen camp employees at the camp are being urged to take tests for tuberculosis after a cleaning woman contracted the disease.
That's how many people may have had contact with the victim in a staff living quarters. NWT's chief medical officer, Dr. Andre Corriveau said that's the most likely place for anyone to have been exposed to the bacteria long enough to contract the disease.
"We're not overly concerned because we think the case was picked up fairly early in the clinical progress of the disease."
He said the person showed symptoms for a very short time, minimizing the number of people potentially exposed to the disease.
The cleaner worked for Kitikmeot Catering. Employees of the firm are urged to return to their home communities for testing because it's more flexible for workers, and that's where medical histories are, Dr. Corriveau said.
Testing isn't mandatory, but BHP can refuse to allow workers to return to the workplace who decline testing.
Company spokesman Graham Nichols said the company signed a contract with BHP which said workers will be healthy.
He and Corriveau agree that if other TB cases surface at BHP sites, it's not likely that they are linked.
"A lot of people in NWT have been exposed to TB," Nichols said.
Dr. Corriveau said the rate of TB infections in the NWT is 10 times the national rate because there was no proper follow-up when the disease struck 25 years ago.
A large pool of people "are at risk to re-activate, like this person did," said Corriveau.
