Occupational exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Legal issues in workers' compensation.
Occupational exposure to TB remains a significant threat in select high risk occupations despite 5 years of declining disease incidence rates in the United States. TB kills more people on a global scale than any other infectious disease. One third of the global population is currently infected with TB. Workers' compensation insurance may be inadequate to cover lost wages and medical bills in cases of occupational exposure to TB if the source patient is unknown. There is a need to reform state laws for workers' compensation so TB infections in high risk employees are presumed to be work related unless a community exposure to the disease is identified.
Evenson
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Employee Health Services, Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, Mayo Health System, La Crosse, WI, USA.
D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009785:Occupational Health Nursing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014489:United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*