A woman from Tacoma who was previously arrested for refusing treatment for tuberculosis has been successfully cured, as reported by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Despite the woman’s initial resistance, the health department persisted for over a year in convincing her to seek proper treatment. In a rare move, the health department sought an arrest warrant from the Pierce County Superior Court after 16 attempts, in order to protect public health.
The woman was eventually arrested by Pierce County sheriff’s deputies in June 2023 and placed in isolation at the county jail for treatment in a negative pressure room. It was at this point that she came to understand the seriousness of her condition and decided to undergo treatment for her illness.
Following her arrest, Pierce County Judge Philip Sorenson released the woman with certain conditions, including supervised isolation at home. Through consistent medication and care, she was able to recover her health and tested negative for TB multiple times. The health department confirmed that she is now cured, with no risk to her own health or to others around her.
This case marked only the third instance in the last two decades where health officials had to seek a court order to detain an individual who was potentially contagious and refusing treatment for TB. Pierce County typically sees around 20 cases of active TB each year, with state law mandating the reporting of all such cases to the health department.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that predominantly affects the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body. While TB can be fatal, it is treatable with medication. The majority of TB infections are latent, meaning the individual shows no symptoms and cannot transmit the disease. Active TB is less contagious than common respiratory illnesses like the cold or flu, requiring prolonged exposure in confined spaces for transmission to occur.
On a global scale, the number of TB infections saw an increase in 2022 after years of decline. The World Health Organization reports that TB claims 1.5 million lives annually, ranking it as the top infectious killer worldwide, surpassing COVID-19, HIV, and AIDS.
The successful treatment and recovery of the Tacoma woman serve as a testament to the importance of seeking proper medical care, not only for individual well-being but also for the broader community’s health and safety. It underscores the significance of early detection, intervention, and adherence to treatment protocols in combating infectious diseases like tuberculosis.
