Tuberculosis screening clinic opens in Arviat, Nunavut, amid ongoing outbreak
Residents aged 13 to 40 asked to come to hamlet office and get tested
Nunavut's health department says screening for tuberculosis in underway in Arviat, as that community deals with an ongoing outbreak.
A screening clinic begins this week at the hamlet office and will continue until June, with all residents aged 13 to 40 asked to come and get tested.
The territory declared an outbreak of TB in Arviat in February. The chief public health officer told CBC News at the time that two cases were identified in January that had "potential multiple exposures and links across different settings."
In a news release on Tuesday, the health department said that since January, "fewer than five" people have been diagnosed with active TB in Arviat, and another 12 people have been diagnosed with latent TB.
The hamlet on Hudson Bay is home to about 2,800 people. It was the fourth Nunavut community to have an outbreak of tuberculosis declared in recent years. Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet and Naujaat have all been grappling with outbreaks as well.
The department said the screening program began with the testing of immediate contacts, household members and others considered to be high-risk. Now the focus is on past active and latent cases.
The Department of Health noted tuberculosis is treatable and medications are available. It is typically spread through prolonged exposure to an infected person in a confined space. Those with active tuberculosis are no longer contagious once they have been treated.
Symptoms of tuberculosis include a cough lasting more than three weeks, fatigue, loss of appetite or fever. Those who have been exposed to an active case or are experiencing symptoms should contact their health centre.
The department says the only way to stop transmission of TB is through early detection and treatment.
"TB testing is just like any other health check-up. It doesn't mean you have TB but instead shows that you care about your health and about your community," reads the news release on Wednesday.