Washington woman with tuberculosis refuses treatment, prompting court orders
A woman with tuberculosis in Tacoma, Washington, has refused to isolate or take medication, so the health department has gotten multiple court orders to compel her.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department in Washington has obtained multiple court orders requiring a Tacoma resident to get treatment for her active tuberculosis, officials told NBC News on Friday.
The woman has thus far refused to isolate or take the necessary medications, according to Nigel Turner, the department's division director of Communicable Disease Control.
"The court order is in place ordering isolation and quarantine," Turner said. "We’re working with her on assessing the compliance with that."
The News Tribune, a local news outlet, reported on Friday that over the past year, the health department has repeatedly sought and been granted court orders compelling the woman to isolate and get treated for tuberculosis. According to the Tribune, legal petitions from the department said the patient had not abided by previous orders, and had at one point started but discontinued medication. The health department confirmed the Tribune's reporting to NBC News.
A judge issued the latest order on Jan. 20, granting the department the authority to test, treat and detain the woman, starting next week.
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