Health officials in Northern Saskatchewan have declared a tuberculosis outbreak in two communities.
The Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority has identified six cases in Black Lake and seven infections in Fond du Lac.
“We have four children, three from Fond du Lac, and one from Black Lake. We also have about five hospitalizations. Of those five, two of them are children with advanced disease, which is very concerning for us. And that’s also one of the reasons why the outbreak was declared because we had evidence of community transmission, especially in household,” explained Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka, Medical Health Officer for the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority.
The source of the infection has yet to be identified, as officials are working with those communities to determine where it originated. Ndubuka said that preventative and theopoetic treatment options are being administered.
“We’ve just been made aware today from the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority, working in coordination with other government agencies that the numbers are high enough in the communities of Black Lake and Fond du Lac that they’ve now declared that officially as an outbreak of tuberculosis,” said Athabasca Health Authority CEO Allan Adam.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infectious disease, mainly affecting the lungs. It is spread through tiny airborne droplets released via coughing and sneezing.
(Photo: Fond du Lac)