BRUCE DEMARA
CITY HALL BUREAU
Eight cases of active tuberculosis have been found in Toronto shelters as a result of a massive public health blitz launched last fall after two shelter workers developed the disease.
All of the active cases — except for a homeless man who died of the disease — are being treated, said Dr. Barbara Yaffe, associate medical officer of health and director of communicable disease control.
To date, testing has taken place at all men's, co-ed, aboriginal and the majority of women's shelters, with the last positive case found on Jan. 18, Yaffe said. No additional cases have been found in the women's shelters, where testing is expected to be complete by the end of the month, she added.
But Yaffe expressed "grave concern" that 12 shelter staff and volunteers have tested positive for the disease after previously testing negative — four of them in recent months — a sign that the disease may still be spreading.
"This indicates to us there is ongoing transmission of tuberculosis in (shelter) settings."
Yaffe noted that a positive test does not indicate an active case of tuberculosis is inevitable.
In fact, there's only a 10 per cent risk of that happening, she said.
Over the course of the public health blitz, which saw 4,417 people tested, officials had to issue 12 orders under the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act requiring tuberculosis testing for people, including some shelter staff and volunteers.
"For whatever reason, we are finding we don't always get the best compliance from shelter staff or volunteers. It's hard to know why," Yaffe said.
"At the end, some of them just won't go (for testing) and if they're at high risk ... we are issuing orders."
A coroner's inquest has recommended that shelter staff and volunteers have regular testing on a mandatory basis.
All of the active cases — except for a homeless man who died of the disease — are being treated, said Dr. Barbara Yaffe, associate medical officer of health and director of communicable disease control.
To date, testing has taken place at all men's, co-ed, aboriginal and the majority of women's shelters, with the last positive case found on Jan. 18, Yaffe said. No additional cases have been found in the women's shelters, where testing is expected to be complete by the end of the month, she added.
But Yaffe expressed "grave concern" that 12 shelter staff and volunteers have tested positive for the disease after previously testing negative — four of them in recent months — a sign that the disease may still be spreading.
"This indicates to us there is ongoing transmission of tuberculosis in (shelter) settings."
Yaffe noted that a positive test does not indicate an active case of tuberculosis is inevitable.
In fact, there's only a 10 per cent risk of that happening, she said.
Over the course of the public health blitz, which saw 4,417 people tested, officials had to issue 12 orders under the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act requiring tuberculosis testing for people, including some shelter staff and volunteers.
"For whatever reason, we are finding we don't always get the best compliance from shelter staff or volunteers. It's hard to know why," Yaffe said.
"At the end, some of them just won't go (for testing) and if they're at high risk ... we are issuing orders."
A coroner's inquest has recommended that shelter staff and volunteers have regular testing on a mandatory basis.
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