James Cochran
6/8/07
P. 2
Health Current Event
Tuberculosis Found
Just recently, on June First, 2007, a man named Andrew Speaker got on several airplanes
and puts many at risk for the devastating disease. It's so serious, the government issues
its first quarantine in almost 45 years.
"He may be personally liable if someone contracts TB" for being on the airplane
flights to and from Europe, said Peter Jacobson, a professor at University of Michigan for public health.
"I can see a jury coming down very hard on someone like that who willfully ignored advice not to travel."
Speaker flew to Europe for his wedding and honeymoon after being told by health officials to stayput
because he had TB. Because after later tests reveailed he had an even more dangerous,
drug-resistant type of TB than previously thought. This new infromation indangered his wife, and everyone
whom he has made contact with.
The 31 year-old disregarded those orders by taking an airplane to Prague, and then Montreal (Canada),
to sneak back into the US. Speaker was asked why he went aginst the order and snuck back into the US. He said there
is better health-care in the US. But while doing this he could of created a Nation Crisis. Luckaly, For both him and
the thousands of people who came in contact with him, mostly likly wern't infected as his wife, Who sat next to him
on the plane is not infected with this rare TB.
But what is ironic about this case is that Speakers own father is a Goverment Agent who specilized in TB cases
When asked by FoxNews Interviewers he declined all Acuzations that this TB may of been transfered form him to his
son.