According to the New York Times, a lady in Washington state was arrested on Thursday after defying a judge’s order for more than a year to be isolated or receive treatment for infectious tuberculosis. She was arrested nearly three months after a civil arrest order for her was issued.
Health officials hid the woman’s identity, but the initials VN were used to identify her in court documents.
The lady was transferred to the Pierce County Jail, according to a statement from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, where she will be kept in a chamber that is “specially equipped for isolation, testing, and treatment.”
“We are hopeful she will choose to get the lifesaving treatment she needs to treat her tuberculosis,” the statement said.
Tuberculosis is regarded as a possibly lethal disease
Following a tuberculosis diagnosis, the health authority initially instructed the woman to isolate, according to the Independent. For more than a year, the authorities tried to get her to undergo therapy with the help of her family and neighbors, but she resisted. A civil arrest warrant for her forcible detention was given to the county in March 2023.
Only three times in the previous 20 years, according to the department, have they had to request a court order to hold a potentially contagious patient who refused to receive treatment.
It is unclear why the woman refused to be treated or placed in isolation. According to NBC News, her attorney Sarah Tofflemire asserted in a filing that the woman declined therapy because she doesn’t understand what is occurring.
Health professionals are obligated by Washington state law to record cases and collaborate with patients to ensure they receive treatment for active cases of the disease.
Anyone who comes into contact with a patient, such as relatives or acquaintances, is at risk of contracting the contagious tuberculosis disease. It is regarded as possibly lethal. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), treating tuberculosis might take three to nine months.
