A Washington woman with tuberculosis refuses treatment, so authorities got court orders - msnNOW

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department in Washington has obtained multiple court ordersrequiring aTacomaresident to get treatment for her active tuberculosis, officials told NBC News on Friday.

A judge issued the latest order on Jan. 20, granting the department the authority to test, treat and detain the woman, starting next week.

In the past 20 years, the department said, it has had to enlist the help of law enforcement to detain three people who refused tuberculosis treatment until they were no longer infectious.

Turner said the department typically exhausts other measures before seeking a court order, such as enlisting family members, medical providers or infectious disease experts to reason with a patient.

People who don’t have reliable access to food or housing may also be reluctant to follow isolation guidelines, he said, so the health department may provide them with those resources.

The Tribune reported that a January legal filing from the health department said the woman had previously gone to the emergency room following a car crash but had not disclosed her tuberculosis diagnosis to staff.