10% of residents in Nunavut community infected with TB, crisis team to visit

With 10 per cent of residents in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut, infected with active or latent tuberculosis, the Government of Nunavut is looking for new ways to combat the disease.

While the community of 600 has the highest rate in the territory, Nunavut's chief medical officer of health says she's also worried about infection rates in 15 to 17 of the territory's 25communities.

Kim Barker said the Health Department is putting together a response team that will visit the community in January something it hasn't done before.

"We are still in the planning stages, but the intention is to mobilize additional staff to assist the health centre that are already managing day to day activities let alone trying to address the TB issue there," Barker said.

Qikiqtarjuaqentered the spotlight after 15-year-oldIleen Kooneeliusie died from a rare form of tuberculosis last January, just hours after she was diagnosed.

• Nunavut teen's death sheds light on failure fighting TB

That death helped drive the creation of a national task force this fall to address a TB rate among Inuit that, in 2015, was 270 times higher than the rate among Canadian-born, non-Indigenous people.

• Nunavut teen's death drives Inuit, federal task force on TB

Mayor welcomes help

Barker says the team has been in close communication with the community's mayor, MaryKilliktee, to organize the new approach.

Kiliktee says she glad the team is coming.

"It's welcome news for families. It's good to know that they'll be asking questions, going door-to-door," Kiliktee said in Inuktitut.

As for why Qikiqtarjuaq has the highest rate, Barker says its something the team will look into. From what she knows now, she says overcrowded homes play a significant role.

The community re-jigged their annual Christmas games to account for the infection. Games were held in the larger, better ventilated, community hall or outdoors.

Barker says territory-wide, those with coughs should stay home to avoid infecting others. She says the same for those on tuberculosis medication, who have not yet tested negative for the disease.

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