Open tuberculosis was diagnosed in a prisoner who was staying in Hasselt prison on Friday. The prisoner was transferred to a hospital in Hasselt for treatment.
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Valérie Callebaut, spokeswoman for the FPS Justice, does not want to disclose many details about the infection. She confirms to Belga by email that the prisoner has been transferred to a hospital in Hasselt after the diagnosis and that he will return to the prison in Bruges after being treated.
In the prison of Hasselt, all preventive measures were taken by the VRGT (Flemish Association for Respiratory Health Care and Tuberculosis Control) and the occupational physician to protect both prisoners and staff in Hasselt against possible contamination.
Tuberculosis is a contagious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs, but can also cause infections in other parts of the body. The disease is spread by droplets released through sneezing or coughing.
In Belgium, tuberculosis is no longer a real public disease, but it has not yet disappeared from the streets. In 2018, 981 new cases were identified in Belgium. That is 8.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. This makes Belgium one of the lowest incidence countries worldwide.
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