Detention for tuberculosis: public health and the law

Non-compliance with treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) by an individual can put the community at risk of transmission of TB. Public health (detention) orders can be issued to detain non-compliant individuals, but this is a last resort and rarely used. Two recent cases in New South Wales illust...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inMedical journal of Australia Vol. 180; no. 11; p. 573
Main Authors Senanayake, Sanjaya N, Ferson, Mark J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Australia 07.06.2004
Subjects
Adult
Communicable Disease Control - legislation & jurisprudence
Humans
Law Enforcement
Male
New South Wales
Prisoners - legislation & jurisprudence
Treatment Refusal - legislation & jurisprudence
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - prevention & control
New South Wales
Legal Approach
Health Care and Public Health
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:Non-compliance with treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) by an individual can put the community at risk of transmission of TB. Public health (detention) orders can be issued to detain non-compliant individuals, but this is a last resort and rarely used. Two recent cases in New South Wales illustrate the process of issuing a public health order in NSW, and some of the issues that may arise. The NSW law can also be applied to patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or HIV/AIDS. The other states and territories have similar laws, which often apply to a broader range of diseases and have fewer limits on issuing and extending orders.
ISSN:0025-729X
DOI:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb06094.x