Tuberculosis...?

Snowman92D · 05-31-2007, 16:22

I noticed on TV they're breathlessly following a story about a guy with some treatment-resistent strain of tuberculosis, fresh back from a trip to Europe, who's now quarantined by the federal gov't. I've been distressed for quite a while because the local health department seemingly doesn't have a blanket policy requiring all persons who prepare food to be tested for TB. The newsmedia doesn't seem to get very worked up about that.

There are more and more 3rd World types working behind the counter at fast-food places, public cafeterias, restaurants, etc, hereabouts...and I'm becoming damned ill-at-ease about it. Thing is, I've attended a lot of autopsies in connection with my job over the years. Listen to me, believe me when I tell you this: There's an uncomfortable percentage of those 3rd World types who are full of TB when they crack 'em open on the pathologist's table. Square biz.

If anyone has any info that'd clear this up for me, I'd really appreciate hearing about it. I don't know why all food-handlers at Department of Health-licensed locations aren't mandated to be tested routinely for TB. As far as I can tell, the only food-service employees who are routinely tested for tuberculosis are the ones who work in school cafeterias. Sure makes me want to stop at a fast-food joint, or any other restaurant, where English is the "second language" on the back line...yeah, buddy.

epsylum · 05-31-2007, 17:02

SARS, then bird flu, now TB. Man the media sure loves its epidemics.

05-31-2007, 19:19

Yeah, but the alternative is cooking & eating at home

Seriously, I've been wondering about that, too. Which would be more expensive - mandatory TB testing, or an actual outbreak of TB.... Scary stuff.

KSFreeman · 06-01-2007, 05:35

Not to throw gasoline on this little scarefest, but we've had TB outbreaks here in Indiana recently, inlcuding a stomping grounds of mine, the Tippecanoe County Jail. They don't laugh at me when I carry in my container of Lysol wipes.

KSFreeman · 06-01-2007, 05:37

Think of it as a good reason to skip the "fast food" joints.

"Fast food"=fast way to bad health and it is not food.

R. Emmelman · 06-01-2007, 06:01

Quote:

Originally posted by KSFreeman
Not to throw gasoline on this little scarefest, but we've had TB outbreaks here in Indiana recently, inlcuding a stomping grounds of mine, the Tippecanoe County Jail. They don't laugh at me when I carry in my container of Lysol wipes.

Try working in a hospital. Best day of my career when I got out of the hospital environment! I have OCD when it comes to hand washing.

Snowman92D · 06-01-2007, 07:20

Quote:

Originally posted by KSFreeman
They don't laugh at me when I carry in my container of Lysol wipes.

+1

Everyone gets all "officially" worked up over Hepatitis B and blood-borne pathogens. We've even mandated annual training on it. Not a peep about the TB.

There was a restaurant chain not too long ago that traced their spate of food-borne illnesses to their salad bars. I recall listening to that on the news and thinking of watching 3rd World types harvesting lettuce in huge fields. A port-o-let here and there, but no where for any of them to wash their hands afterward.

I hope sjstill can tell me something I can do to renew my faith in the public health system. I gather from talking to him on rare occasions that he's a health care professional of some sort. At least when I call him at home, he always says, "I gotta go...my wife wants me to go play doctor".

06-01-2007, 20:20

THAT was too funny, Keith....

mpholic · 06-08-2007, 06:40

My son goes to college in Florida and they required him to have a TB test, Hepatitis vaccine and Meningitis vaccine before he could attend.

Many years ago I remember restaraunt workers being required to have a TB test before they handled food. Of course I also remember having to have a blood test to get married too.

Seems like safety and common sense have gone out the window in favor of not hurting someones feelings or inconveniencing them.

Can you say Typhoid Mary?

4sarge · 06-08-2007, 09:28

Quote:

Originally posted by mpholic
My son goes to college in Florida and they required him to have a TB test, Hepatitis vaccine and Meningitis vaccine before he could attend.

Many years ago I remember restaraunt workers being required to have a TB test before they handled food. Of course I also remember having to have a blood test to get married too.

Seems like safety and common sense have gone out the window in favor of not hurting someones feelings or inconveniencing them.

Can you say Typhoid Mary?

Tests - Accountability, You got to be kidding

That might INCONVENIECE "Our" Guest Workers

IndyGunFreak · 06-09-2007, 10:26

Quote:

Originally posted by 4sarge
Tests - Accountability, You got to be kidding

That might INCONVENIECE "Our" Guest Workers

One of the scariest times of my life, was when I had to take a routine TB test as part of working for DOC. I had taken several w/o incident. This time though, it came back "exposed"... They done a chest X-ray said it didn't appear I had TB, but my doc put me on a pretty hefty cocktail of antibiotics for about 4-5mo. Fortunately, I never developed TB.

Since then, I can't take a TB test, and when I get my yearly checkups, I always get a chest x-ray.

IGF