Woman Detained After Repeatedly Refusing Treatment for Tuberculosis

A woman in Washington state was arrested after refusing treatment and isolation for tuberculosis for over a year, despite multiple court orders.
She is being held in isolation in a jail medical unit for at least 45 days to receive treatment.
This is an extremely rare incident, as there are only about 20 cases of active TB in Pierce County each year.
The woman visited public places like a casino, putting others at risk of infection before she was detained.
TB is a serious but curable disease that caused over 1.5 million deaths worldwide in 2021.