Tuberculosis outbreaks in 3 Nunavut communities still ongoing years later

Pangnirtung, Nunavut, in August 2023. The community is one of 3 in the territory dealing with ongoing outbreaks of tuberculosis. (Matisse Harvey/Radio-Canada)

By RCI, CBC News

A tuberculosis outbreak was declared in Pangnirtung in 2021, Pond Inlet and Naujaat in 2023

An outbreak of tuberculosis in three Nunavut communities is ongoing, in some cases, years later, according to the territory’s Department of Health.

The department declared an outbreak in Pangnirtung on Nov. 25, 2021, Pond Inlet on March 17, 2023 and Naujaat on May 16, 2023.

In a press release Tuesday, the department shared case numbers for those communities.

In Pangnirtung, there have been 47 diagnoses of active TB and 222 new latent cases from January 2021 to Oct. 31, 2024.

In Pond Inlet, 12 residents were diagnosed with active tuberculosis and 101 diagnosed with new latent tuberculosis from January 2023 to Oct. 31, 2024.

In Naujaat, 26 were diagnosed with active TB and 147 with new latent TB from January 2023 to Oct. 2024.

The department is advising anyone with symptoms, or who’s been exposed to an active TB case, to visit a health centre for screening. Those symptoms include: a cough that lasts longer than three weeks, feeling very tired, loss of appetite, a fever or night sweats.

Latent TB is not contagious but is treated to prevent it from becoming active. The department says that medications are available in communities.