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Department of Health to update public on Pangnirtung TB outbreak every three months

The Government of Nunavut will be announcing public case updates for Pangnirtung’s tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in three-month intervals, said Nunavut Health Minister John Main on June 7.
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Nunavut Health Minister John Main announced on June 7 the Department of Health will provide regular updates on the Pangnirtung tuberculosis outbreak. NNSL file photo

The Government of Nunavut will be announcing public case updates for Pangnirtung’s tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in three-month intervals, said Nunavut Health Minister John Main on June 7.

“I want to assure the public and my fellow members that the Department of Health is working diligently and is using available tools to support the community. Containing a TB outbreak takes sustained effort spread over many months. Ensuring the community is kept informed of what is happening during this extended period is one of our priorities,” Main said in the legislative assembly.

The Health minister also addressed the delay in announcing an outbreak in the community, which was declared on Nov. 25, 2021 while the first cases of active tuberculosis were diagnosed on January earlier that year. More than 30 active infections and 100 latent cases were diagnosed as of late May.

“Having reviewed the information, I am confident that the right choice was made, and an outbreak was declared when it was clear there was risk to the broader community,” Main said. “Prior to the outbreak being declared, despite the number of cases, there was no evidence that the illness had spread beyond a contained cluster of individuals.”

He added that he and his department will be continuing to work toward flattening the curve of this outbreak over the coming months.