A tuberculosis outbreak has gripped a large emergency shelter in Portland, Maine, prompting urgent health measures and mounting concern among medical staff and city officials alike.
The outbreak, centered at the 166 Riverside Shelter – a 179-bed facility exclusively for non-citizens seeking asylum in the U.S. – has already seen 21 individuals test positive via PPD (Purified Protein Derivative) testing, according to a memo distributed Thursday night to medical professionals in Maine.
The situation is being described by officials as “ongoing,” with additional testing efforts being coordinated by the State of Maine in collaboration with Portland Public Health.
So far, neither the Maine CDC nor Portland Public Health have issued any alerts to the public about the outbreak of the highly contagious respiratory infection.
The Maine Wire was the only outlet to report on the beginning stages of the tuberculosis outbreak back in May when a non-asylum seeker employee at the shelter was hospitalized in serious condition with the infection.
[RELATED: Rare Tuberculosis Case Confirmed in Worker at Portland’s Migrant Shelter…]
Medical records showed then that a 22-year-old male, who began working last year at the City of Portland’s asylum seeker shelter at 166 Riverside Industrial Parkway, was admitted to MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital on April 11 and hospitalized for ten days.
Since that time, state and city health officials have done nothing to alert the public to potential risks from a city-run tuberculosis hotzone.
In the internal advisory sent Thursday, providers were urged to exercise heightened caution with any patient known—or suspected—to be staying at the Riverside facility. The document notes that not all patients will be identifiable as shelter residents, with some using P.O. boxes.
Action steps have been rolled out quickly:
- Patients from the shelter should be masked while onsite.
- Healthcare workers are advised to wear N95 respirators when treating individuals from the shelter.
- Chest X-rays (CXR) have been deemed the most efficient method for determining infectious TB risk.
- The TB Clinic is open for consultation and follow-up care for anyone testing positive or showing symptoms.
A PowerPoint on latent TB diagnosis and treatment has also been circulated internally.
Additionally, AST/ALT lab tests are being encouraged to speed up treatment eligibility and safety assessments.
Donna Travaglini, RN, has been designated as the point of contact for TB consultations, and the TB Clinic has committed to evaluating any patient presenting with a positive CXR, according to the memo.
The number of confirmed TB cases could still rise as testing continues.
