Girl arrested in Washington after refusing remedy for tuberculosis for 12 months

A girl has been arrested in Washington state after authorities mentioned she refused to hunt remedy for tuberculosis for greater than a 12 months.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Well being Division mentioned in a statement on Thursday that the lady, who was not recognized, was taken to the Pierce County Jail the place she will probably be housed in a room specifically outfitted for isolation, testing and remedy. The division thanked the Pierce County Sheriff’s Division and deputies for his or her function within the “mandatory intervention.”

“We’re hopeful she’s going to select to get the life-saving remedy she must deal with her tuberculosis,” the division mentioned.

The division mentioned months in the past that the lady had refused to take the life-saving treatment that she wants and didn’t keep in isolation. It mentioned officers had labored together with her household and group members for greater than a 12 months to attempt to persuade her to get remedy, however they turned to their “final choice” of getting an arrest warrant be issued for the lady.

A choose held the lady in civil contempt for violating his order that she take treatment or go into isolation and issued the arrest warrant for her to be taken into custody on or after March 3.

The division mentioned this case marks solely the third time up to now 20 years that it wanted to hunt a courtroom order to detain a doubtlessly contagious affected person who refused to see remedy. It mentioned folks can die from tuberculosis if they don’t get remedy, and so they can unnecessarily expose others to the virus.

Legislation enforcement officers didn’t instantly detain the lady after the warrant was issued, however they ultimately arrested her Thursday.

“Once we face challenges with an individual who doesn’t need to take treatment or isolate, we join with relations, buddies, and folks of their group to assist. We work to take away any limitations which may be in the way in which of them getting the remedy they want,” the assertion mentioned.

“When these choices don’t work, the Well being Division has an obligation to the group and the authorized authority to hunt a courtroom order to steer sufferers to conform,” the division continued.