Putnam Sheriff Quarantines Illegal Immigrant with TB, One Infected Man Still Missing
Submitted by Courtney Ferrell on Thu, 08/09/2007 - 11:05am. News
The Putnam County Sheriff's Department is holding a Guatemalan man for failing to take medication for his tuberculosis.

The Health Department treated a number of people in one East Eatonton home for TB, but a few of the people had stopped taking their treatments. The Health Department received an order from the Putnam County Superior Court to have the Sheriff's Office detain the individuals to avert a county-wide health risk.

Deputies and Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) detained eleven illegal immigrants in the house. Deputies escorted Jamie Romero, a Guatemalan citizen, and have housed him in a trailer on Putnam County Jail property. The remaining ten people were taken into custody, and are currently in a detention center in Stewart County awaiting deportation.

Romero is being treated by the Health Department at the Putnam County Jail. Sheriff Howard Simms says Romero is not in handcuffs, and has not been arrested. Jail staff are wearing masks to avoid TB contamination. Sills says Romero is not infected with a drug-resistant strain of TB.

An additional man who did not complete his treatment with the Health Department is missing.

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