Tuberculosis outbreak hits Labrador weeks after Inuit group decried funding loss

By Sarah Smellie Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have declared an outbreak of tuberculosis within the Inuit region of Labrador, just weeks after a national Inuit group had warned that funding was needed to eradicate the disease. The region is home to several small communities, and officials are not revealing the number of confirmed cases in order to protect peoples’ privacy, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said Friday. However, she said the number of cases is small. An outbreak is declared when the number of cases is higher than expected and there is transmission of the disease, Fitzgerald said. “We’re always concerned when we see cases of (tuberculosis). It can be a pretty significant infection for the individual,” she said in an interview. An…

This content is for Yearly Subscription, Yearly Subscription – Corporate, Print Subscription Only, and Canada Print and Online members only.
Register
Already a member? Log in here

Add Your Voice

Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Contribute your voice on our contribute page.