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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 12/02/2014 - A new case of confirmed active tuberculosis (TB) has been identified in Kittitas County. The case is an adult female. This is the first case of active TB identified here, since 2004. The Kittitas County Public Health Department (KCPHD) is taking steps to protect the community from the spread of TB.
The patient is being treated and has agreed to be isolated, with no exposure to the general public, until cleared by the Kittitas County Health Officer. KCPHD is completing investigations with all people who have been in close contact with the adult female. Anyone who has been in close contact will be screened for TB. “It is important to know that it is not easy to get TB,” asserts Mark Larson, MD, Health Officer. TB transmission requires prolonged, close exposure to a person who is ill with active TB. When a person with active TB coughs, sneezes, or speaks, the droplets containing TB bacteria may infect others nearby who breathe in the droplets. Symptoms of TB disease include:
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Kasey Knutson, Public Information Officer, 509-962-7515