Latest Nunavut data shows more TB cases in Pangnirtung

New figures from the Nunavut Department of Health show that two more people have been diagnosed with active TB in Pangnirtung in the past three months, while 21 others have been diagnosed with latent TB.

The outbreak of the disease in the hamlet of about 1,500 residents continues to grow, the department said in a statement Friday afternoon.

The territory declared the epidemic a year ago to the day.

Since January 2021, a total of 37 people in Pangnirtung have been diagnosed with active TB, which means it can spread from person to person through the air.

During the same period, 147 people were diagnosed with latent tuberculosis, which is not contagious, according to the Nunavut Department of Health, but still needs to be treated to prevent it from becoming active.

Symptoms of active TB include a cough that lasts longer than three weeks, feeling very tired, loss of appetite, and fever or night sweats.

The Nunavut Department of Health says anyone with these symptoms should go to their health center and get tested as soon as possible, as should anyone who has been exposed to someone with active TB.