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Detention for tuberculosis: public health and the law
Author(s) -
Senanayake Sanjaya N,
Ferson Mark J
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb06094.x
Subject(s) - tuberculosis , public health , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , transmission (telecommunications) , order (exchange) , compliance (psychology) , law , medicine , environmental health , political science , business , family medicine , psychology , engineering , pathology , social psychology , electrical engineering , finance
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.