EVERETT – Two people in Snohomish County have been diagnosed with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, a type of the disease that is both more expensive to treat and takes longer for people to heal from.
The cases are thought to be the first cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Snohomish County, although several cases were reported elsewhere in Washington last year, Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District said Thursday.
Treatment of the two Snohomish County cases and investigation of whether the disease has been spread to others is expected to cost $140,000 this year, he said.
Goldbaum declined to give any other information about the patients, such as where they live or whether they are men or women, citing privacy concerns.
The disease is not spread through casual contact, he said. It will take several more weeks to know if there are any additional cases.
The health district’s board will be asked to approve the $140,000 allocation at its meeting next week, Goldbaum said. The money comes from a special $250,000 reserve fund set aside this year for treatment of tuberculosis cases.
Treatment of patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is more expensive because of the special types of antibiotic medications they must take. Patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis often must take medication for 18 to 24 months, he said.
In addition, health district staff are being dispatched twice a day to where they live to ensure they are taking their medications, Goldbaum said.
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