Worker at Boeing Renton facility diagnosed with active tuberculosis disease

A worker at the Boeing Renton facility was recently diagnosed with active tuberculosis disease, staff from Public Health - Seattle and King County said.

The employee had contact with six workers who require testing as a precaution to rule out a TB infection, public health staff said, but the risk for TB spreading to anyone who came into contact with the worker is low.

TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that are passed from person to person through the air, health department staff said. It’s not easily spread, unlike the cold or flu.

“It typically takes repeated and prolonged exposure in a confined indoor space to become infected with TB,” Public Health staff wrote. “Even in households with a person with contagious TB disease, only about 1-in-3 close household contacts become infected.”

See additional details from Public Health - Seattle and King County here.

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