473 people test positive for tuberculosis after Bedok screenings
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A total of 473 people screened for tuberculosis in Bedok have tested positive for the bacteria, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Wednesday (May 13).They make up 14.9 per cent of the 3,169 people who underwent blood tests by the CDA, which said i473 people test positive for tuberculosis after Bedok screenings
A total of 473 people screened for tuberculosis in Bedok have tested positive for the bacteria, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Wednesday (May 13).They make up 14.9 per cent of the 3,169 people who underwent blood tests by the CDA, which said in a statement that the positivity rate is «within expectations».Those who have tested positive will receive a phone call from the agency to arrange for a chest X-ray appointment, which will determine if they have active TB or latent TB infection (LTBI).LTBI refers to when a small number of inactive TB bacteria is present in one's body. Patients are not sick, but have a chance of contracting the disease if the bacteria becomes active.CDA stressed on Wednesday that a positive blood test result does not mean that a person has the active disease.«The vast majority of these individuals are expected to have LTBI, which means they do not exhibit symptoms of TB, are not infectious, and therefore do not pose a public health risk,» it said. Read more
