Andrew Speaker Has Less Severe Form Of Tuberculosis

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Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  MRSA / Drug Resistance;  Public Health
Article Date: 03 Jul 2007 - 12:00 PDT

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Andrew Speaker, who triggered a TB scare while traveling to various countries, has a less severe form of Tuberculosis than an initial diagnosis indicated, say authorities. In May, Andrew was diagnosed with a form of TB which is resistant to most medications - XDR-TB. XDR-TB is the most difficult form of TB to treat.

Speaker is being treated at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colorado.

The further tests have indicated that he did not have XDR-TB, but a milder form - Multi-Drug Resistant TB. Multi-Drug Resistant TB can be treated with several antibiotics that do not work with XDR-TB. The CDC has not yet confirmed whether the subsequent diagnoses are the right ones, or just 'conflicting ones'.

Questions will now be asked why the CDC got it wrong. The misdiagnosis sparked a quarantine issue order on Speaker.

Speaker flew to a wedding in Greece last May, after being advised not to travel. While in Greece he was told he had XDR-TB. The whole event hit the international news headlines. He was advised to seek medical attention in Europe, but instead he flew back to the USA via Canada. A search was ordered to track down all passengers who had flown on the same airplanes as him.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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