Tacoma woman with tuberculosis found in contempt of court after refusing treatment

CNN
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A Washington state woman who refused to self-isolate or seek treatment for tuberculosis for more than a year was found in contempt of court on Friday.

“Law enforcement has the civilian arrest warrant that authorizes them to detain the patient who is still refusing treatment,” the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said Friday.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Philip Sorenson signed a contempt order and an involuntary detention, testing and treatment order.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tuberculosis is transmitted through the air from person to person.

If not treated properly, tuberculosis can be fatal, according to the CDC.

The woman will be held in Pierce County Jail for up to 45 days for testing and treatment until she is no longer a public health threat, according to court documents.

She was not in court Friday, according to court records.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT TUBERCULOSIS

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said this case is a “rare case” of a patient refusing care, and that it has worked with family and the community for more than a year to persuade the woman to take her medication.

This is the third time in 20 years that the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has sought a court order to detain a potentially infectious patient refusing tuberculosis treatment, according to the department.

CNN contacted the woman’s attorney.