Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Found Among Boston Homeless
A large outbreak of drug-resistant tuberculosis has been detected among the homeless in shelters in Boston, according to a report published Friday.
The outbreak has prompted federal health officials to call for efforts to detect and prevent the spread of the disease, the Boston Globe reported.
Twenty-six cases of tuberculosis have been reported between February, 1984, and March, 1985, making the outbreak the most severe documented among the homeless, officials at the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta told the newspaper.
CDC officials told the Globe the spread of the disease in three Boston shelters was not surprising because such facilities bring together individuals at high risk for the disease--the malnourished, alcoholics and drug addicts.
An antibiotic-resistant bacterium has been found in 14 of the cases, causing particular concern, according to Dr. Dixie Snider, director of the Division of Tuberculosis Control.
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