An alarm was sounded after a New Zealand hospital revealed that hospital staff contracted TB or tuberculosis from a patient who later died from an unrelated TB condition. It emphasizes once more the need for all travelers to protect themselves with international travel health insurance. With overseas health insurance, a visitor to any foreign country can get proper medical treatment in a major hospital with excellent facilities and the best doctors.
The NZ hospital where the TB case occurred is admittedly a rare incident. The TB happened because he patient’s immune system was compromised by his condition. His inactive TB turned active and was unexpected.
The hospital has taken all necessary precautions to have everyone who was exposed to the patient tested for TB. This includes hospital staff, doctors, relatives and friends of the patient and others. Thus far, only 3 have been tested positive for latent TB.
Latent TB means that the condition is controllable and the infected person cannot contaminate anyone. Basically, they have bacteria in their lungs and this is treatable with drugs. According to medical experts, 90% of people with latent TB never get full-blown TB. Their immune system prevents it from becoming active. Symptoms include blood in the phlegm, coughing, chest pains, appetite loss, weight loss, and fatigue.
Anyone can get TB but usually the cases come from developing countries which mean the man probably traveled to a developing country. It also means that anyone traveling to a developing country should take the necessary precautions.

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