Press Release New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Office of Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Sandra Mullin/Andrew Tucker Monday, November 25, 2002 (212) 788-5290 (877) 640-1347

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene cannot comment on allegations regarding a case that is or may become the subject of litigation.

For the past several weeks, we have been working on-site at a school in East New York to provide preventive treatment against tuberculosis to students and staff. The staff has been cooperative and we are making good progress. Our main goal is to ensure that every student and staff person who was potentially exposed, and that all those who are at risk for tuberculosis, receive a complete evaluation, and those who are infected, receive a course of treatment to prevent the disease.

Tuberculosis control is an important public health priority, and New York City has a national and internationally recognized model of tuberculosis control. The priority in tuberculosis control is to ensure that every person with active tuberculosis is promptly and completely cured, both to protect their health, and to stop the spread of TB. New York City does this as well as any City in the world. Last year, we were able to ensure that virtually all patients were effectively treated.

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