Man Jailed For Having Deadly Tb (virtual, disease)

[kateyes]

PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- Behind the county hospital's tall cinderblock walls, a 27-year-old tuberculosis patient who spent years living in Russia sits in a jail cell equipped with a ventilation system that keeps germs from escaping.
Robert Daniels has been locked up indefinitely, perhaps for the rest of his life, since last July. But he has not been charged with a crime. Instead, he suffers from an extensively drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis, or XDR-TB. It is considered virtually untreatable.
County health authorities obtained a court order to lock him up as a danger to the public because he failed to take precautions to avoid infecting others. Specifically, he said he did not heed doctors' instructions to wear a mask in public............

THE REST OF THE STORY CAN BE FOUND HERE:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/condi....ap/index.html


THIS IS WHAT WEBMD SAYS ABOUT CONTRACTING TB:

Because the bacteria that cause tuberculosis are transmitted through the air, the disease can be quite contagious. However, it is nearly impossible to catch TB simply by passing an infected person on the street. To be at risk, you must be exposed to the organisms constantly, by living or working in close quarters with someone who has the active disease. Even then, because the bacteria generally stay dormant after they invade the body; only 10% of people infected with TB will ever come down with the active disease. The remaining 90% will show no signs of infection, nor will they be able to spread the disease to others. Dormant infections can eventually become active, though, so even people without symptoms should receive medical treatment.
Once widespread, TB became relatively rare with the help of antibiotics developed in the 1950s. Today, however, a new and highly resistant form has emerged, creating a public-health hazard in many large cities worldwide. If you have TB -- in its active or dormant state -- you must seek medical treatment.

Tuberculosis is generally caused by exposure to microscopic airborne droplets containing the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease is almost never transmitted through clothes, bedding or other personal items. Because most people with TB exhale only a few of these germs with each breath, you can contract the disease only if you are exposed to an infected person for a long time. If you spend eight hours a day for six months, or 24 hours a day for two months, with someone with an active case of TB, you have a 50% chance of getting infected

SO THE QUESTION IS-DOES THIS MAN DESERVE TO BE QUARANTINED/JAILED TO PREVENT THE FURTHER SPREAD OF THIS STRAIN OF TB?

[Jaymes]

For something that dangerous? I would take no chances. "Nearly impossible" is not the same as "impossible", and with a strain this resistant to drugs, it's not something that you want to fool around with.

[Hema]

Originally Posted by Jaymes

For something that dangerous? I would take no chances. "Nearly impossible" is not the same as "impossible", and with a strain this resistant to drugs, it's not something that you want to fool around with.

I agree but maybe more comfortable acommodations can be made for the poor man.

[Jaymes]

Originally Posted by Hema

I agree but maybe more comfortable acommodations can be made for the poor man.

That's certainly reasonable. It's not as if he went out and purposely acquired TB.

"Daniels has been living alone in a four-bed cell in Ward 41, a section of the hospital reserved for sick criminals. He said sheriff's deputies will not let him take a shower -- he cleans himself with wet wipes -- and have taken away his television, radio, personal phone and computer. His only visitors are masked medical staff members who come in to give him his medication."

I can see no reason for that at all... is there some risk of contamination through shower water that I'm completely unaware of? The rest is just ridiculous, though.

[Hema]

Originally Posted by Jaymes

That's certainly reasonable. It's not as if he went out and purposely acquired TB.

True that!

"Daniels has been living alone in a four-bed cell in Ward 41, a section of the hospital reserved for sick criminals. He said sheriff's deputies will not let him take a shower -- he cleans himself with wet wipes -- and have taken away his television, radio, personal phone and computer. His only visitors are masked medical staff members who come in to give him his medication."

I can see no reason for that at all... is there some risk of contamination through shower water that I'm completely unaware of? The rest is just ridiculous, though.

What the fig? That is just cruel and inhumane!

[gnomon]

I'm not terribly opposed to this. There are actually many more people presenting far less of a threat to society than this man sitting in prison.

Other than that I agree with Jaymes and Hema. While it may be ethical to isolate individuals from society who present a health danger a jail or prison is not the most ethical place to house them. Society, at least ours, can very well afford them a more comfortable standard of living.

[kateyes]

Could it be that they never expected him to stay this long--I am thinking the idea was to put a good scare into him--so he would agree to take the suggested precautions to protect the rest of us. I think wearing a mask in public would be alot less trouble, than staying where he is under those conditions. Also not to sound mercenary--I wonder who is paying for him to be held in quarantine? I mean while the conditions aren't spectacular--he has a roof over his head, and 3 square meals a day--thats alot more than thousands of people around the world.

[Quoth The Raven]

Originally Posted by kateyes

Could it be that the never expected him to stay this long--I am thinking the idea was to but a good scare into him--so he would agree to take the suggested precautions to protect the rest of us. I think wearing a mask in public would be alot less trouble--than staying where he is under those conditions. Also not to sound mercenary--who is paying for him to be held in quarantine?

Maybe they figure it costs less to keep him in quarantine than it would if his TB spread.
See people? See!? This is what happens when people don't finish their course of antibiotics cos they feel better after half of it.
I can't see letting the poor bugger have a shower, some entertainment and means of communication is gonna kill anyone. Though perhaps the shower thing is because there's an issue with contamination of the towels or something.