Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

2 babies test positive for TB after Summerlin Hospital exposure

Two babies who were in Summerlin Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during last summer's tuberculosis exposure have tested positive for the disease.

The babies received the positive diagnoses during their 12-month screenings, Southern Nevada Health District spokeswoman Stephanie Bethel said.

Based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Curry International Tuberculosis Center, the district asked parents to have their babies tested after the incident, six months later and six months after that.

Bethel said the babies' immune systems were likely not developed enough during the original and follow-up tests to gain accurate results.

At least 20 Summerlin Hospital employees tested positive for tuberculosis after a mother and her newborn daughter, both with undetected cases, were treated at the location.

The two babies who tested positive will be offered treatment to prevent them from developing active cases, Bethel said.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that typically attacks the lungs. It can be spread through the air by infected individuals.

The Southern Nevada Health District suggests that anyone whose baby was a patient of Summerlin Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between mid-May and mid-August of 2013 contact the organization at 702-759-1000.

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