The medical bills of a northeastern Indiana high school student recently diagnosed with a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis will be footed by state and local agencies that are expected to pay $250,000 for medication alone in the youth's first year of treatment.
The patient, whose age and gender haven't been released, has a virulent strain of TB that isn't responding to the most powerful first-line drugs used to combat the disease, will need to be treated over two years with six medications and injections, Fort Wayne-Allen County Board of Health spokesman John Silcox said.
Silcox told the Journal Gazette (http://bit.ly/AhjGvD) that Allen County must pay for treatment of highly infectious, communicable diseases like tuberculosis if the ailing person cannot pay those costs.
"We attempt to tap into any available insurance or resources, but with this case, neither is available," Silcox said. "It's unfortunate because this happens to be a case where the treatment is more expensive because of the nature of the TB."
He said it's unclear what other treatments or surgeries the student will need. The student, who is now in isolation and undergoing treatment, was diagnosed in December with a multidrug-resistant TB strain.
The student attends Fort Wayne Community Schools, but the district and county health officials have not released information on the student, citing privacy laws. District spokeswoman Kristi Stockman said health officials have not disclosed how they believe the student contracted the disease.
Earlier this month, nearly 150 students in the district were identified as having possibly come in contact with the student, and those students were screened for TB. No one else associated with the infected student has been identified with active TB, but testing is ongoing.
Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria spread from person to person through the air. TB usually affects the lungs, and can lead to symptoms such as chest pain and coughing up blood. The disease is treatable in most cases, though it can be fatal if untreated. Globally, the disease kills about 1.7 million people each year.
Silcox said patients with multidrug-resistant TB must be treated with a second line of drugs, and if that does not work, a third line. In addition, the patient must usually have the infected part of his or her lungs surgically removed.
Silcox said the $250,000 estimated cost of medications includes $200,000 for one year of treatment for the patient for the six main medications provided by the Indiana State Department of Health and $50,000 for two years' worth of additional medications for which the county will be responsible. He said the cost estimate is on the high side.
Besides the medications, Silcox said the other costs for the two-year treatment are difficult to estimate until tests are ordered, medicines are prescribed and surgery decisions are made.
Fort Wayne Community Schools Board President Joseph Steensma said the costs could be staggering, but the county has no choice.
"It's frustrating, because in some way, shape or form the taxpayer bears a substantial burden in this case," Steensma said. "But TB and other communicable diseases cannot be treated effectively without spending the necessary funds.
"We have an obligation to the public" to pay for treatment, Steensma said. "If we put up barriers to treatment, then this person might infect one, two, or 20 more."
Fort Wayne-Allen County Health Officer Dr. Deborah McMahan said Indiana has reported five multidrug-resistant cases of TB, including the Allen County student who is the county's first such case.
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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net
