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473 People Tested Positive For Tuberculosis After Bedok Screenings, 'Vast Majority' Expected To Be Non-Contagious
Source: https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/473-people-test-positive-tuberculosis-tb-bedok-screening-cdaA total of 473 people screened for tuberculosis in Bedok have tested positive for the bacteria, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Wednesday (May 13).
They make up 14.9 per cent of the 3,169 people who underwent blood tests by the CDA, which said in a statement that the positivity rate is "within expectations".
Those who have tested positive will receive a phone call from the agency to arrange for a chest X-ray appointment, which will determine if they have active TB or latent TB infection (LTBI).
LTBI refers to when a small number of inactive TB bacteria is present in one's body. Patients are not sick, but have a chance of contracting the disease if the bacteria becomes active.
CDA stressed on Wednesday that a positive blood test result does not mean that a person has the active disease.
"The vast majority of these individuals are expected to have LTBI, which means they do not exhibit symptoms of TB, are not infectious, and therefore do not pose a public health risk," it said.
The agency will conduct mobile chest X-rays at Heartbeat@Bedok from May 13 to 15 for those with positive blood test results. Those who are unable to attend can do their X-rays at SATA CommHealth.
Those with normal chest X-ray results, meaning that they have LTBI, will be referred to SATA CommHealth Bedok for free TB preventive treatment, said CDA.
Patients with an abnormal chest X-ray will be further evaluated at the National Tuberculosis Care Centre and begin treatment promptly if diagnosed with active TB disease.
Contact tracing will be conducted for each active TB disease case to identify and evaluate close contacts for screening.
Tuberculosis screenings were conducted from May 2 to 8 in Bedok Central after CDA mapped out 13 TB cases with genetic similarities across three clusters in the area between January 2023 and February 2026.
Several cases had overlapping activity patterns at Heartbeat@Bedok, Block 216 Bedok Food Centre and Market as well as Singapore Pools Bedok Betting Centre, suggesting possible TB exposure through repeated visits or prolonged exposure.
It was mandated that tenants and workers of these places must be screened for TB — but 41 people in this group have not done so.
In its statement on Wednesday, CDA urged them to go for screening, which will be offered for free until June 5.
Those who test negative will be notified of their results via SMS.
According to the agency, the prevalence of LTBI among Singapore residents was 12.7 per cent in 2015. The prevalence increases with age, ranging from 2 per cent among those aged between 18 and 29 years old, to 29 per cent among those aged between 70 and 79 years old.
Treatment for seven of the 13 cases linked to Bedok Central has been completed, while five among the remaining six are still undergoing treatment. One person has died of separate causes not linked to TB.
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