Cameron County conducts tuberculosis testing following exposure at Harlingen nursing homes
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Hundreds were tested for tuberculous on Monday after the Cameron County Health Department said someone who frequently visited two Harlingen nursing homes tested positive for the infection.
Health officials said around 600 people were exposed to tuberculosis at the Harlingen Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Veranda Rehabilitation and Healthcare nursing homes.
The health department said they hoped to test at least 250 people on Monday.
Blood drawn from those being tested will be sent to the state, and results could take days to come back.
“Even though we send off these blood specimens that could be positive, we still have to wait for an X-ray for those individuals,” Cameron County Health Department Administrator, Esmeralda Guajardo said. “Then based on the X-ray, a tuberculosis physician will look at it and they'll determine whether that it's possible that someone has tuberculous.”
Those results will determine what treatment is needed. Channel 5 News was told preventative treatment will be offered to those who are clear. Both options are free.
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