Absconded TB patients begin to return

A number of the patients infected with extreme-drug-resistant TB who escaped from a South African hospital have been found and returned for treatment.

Eight out of the 27 patients who absconded from a medical facility in Port Elizabeth were persuaded to continue their supervised treatment on Friday (January 4th), iol.co.za reported.

In all 49 people infected with the particularly virulent strain of TB escaped last December in holes they had cut through the hospital's perimeter fence.

"Eight of the patients were traced and returned for treatment this (Friday) afternoon," a hospital spokesperson, Siyanda Manana, told the website. "There are still 19 patients missing, however, we'll continue with our door-to-door intervention."

However, hospital officials looked to allay fears that all family members of the escapees needed to be tested for the hard-to-treat strain of TB.

Doctor Nandi Diliza told iol.co.za: "I think that there was a miscommunication, there is no need for people to panic. Family members who have come into contact with the patients need only be tested if symptoms present themselves."

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