Majority test negative in Bedok tuberculosis screening, 473 flagged for further checks
Those who tested positive on their blood test will be required to undergo a follow-up chest X-ray to determine if they have active TB or latent TB infection, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Wednesday (May 13).
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SINGAPORE: The majority of people tested for tuberculosis (TB) during recent screenings conducted by the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) in Bedok have tested negative for the disease.
A total of 3,169 people were screened for TB from May 2 to May 8, with 85.1 per cent testing negative.
The remaining 14.9 per cent, or 473 people, tested positive on their blood test and require a follow-up chest X-ray to determine if they have active TB or latent TB infection, the agency said in a media release on Wednesday (May 13).
"The vast majority of these individuals are expected to have LTBI (latent TB), which means they do not exhibit symptoms of TB, are not infectious, and therefore do not pose a public health risk," CDA said.
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It added that the positivity rate of 14.9 per cent is within expectations, given the transmission clusters at three locations and the high proportion of elderly in the area.
The three locations are: Heartbeat@Bedok, Block 216 Bedok Food Centre & Market and the Singapore Pools Bedok betting centre. Thirteen genetically similar cases across these places were detected between January 2023 and February this year, prompting authorities to conduct mandatory screening for tenants and workers there.
Voluntary screening was also offered to members of the public who visited these locations for an extended period of time.
CDA noted that the prevalence of latent TB among all Singapore residents was 12.7 per cent in 2015. The prevalence of latent TB increases with age, ranging from 2 per cent among people aged between 18 and 29, to 29 per cent among those aged between 70 and 79, it added.
CDA noted that a positive blood test result does not mean a person has active TB disease.
"The blood test indicates whether a person has been exposed to the TB bacteria, and a further chest X-ray is needed to determine their actual health status," it said.
"Most are expected to have LTBI, which is not uncommon in Singaporeans."
In 2024, the Ministry of Health (MOH) noted that in about 90 per cent of people who have latent tuberculosis, the bacteria remains inactive in their body throughout their lives.
About 5 per cent of people with latent tuberculosis develop active tuberculosis within the first two years, MOH added.
The remaining 5 per cent may develop active tuberculosis sometime after two years and within their lifetime.
The agency said that of the 3,169 individuals screened, 1,255 were in the "mandatory group". As of Tuesday, 41 people in this group have yet to complete screening or book an appointment to be screened.
"We urge them to come forward for testing at SATA CommHealth Bedok Clinic or the National Tuberculosis Screening Centre as soon as possible."
CDA said that screening, as well as further tests, will continue to be offered for free until Jun 5, 2026.
It is also contacting people who have tested positive on their blood test to arrange for a chest X-ray appointment. This will be done via phone calls.
Meanwhile, those with negative blood test results will be notified via SMS.
There will be an on-site mobile chest X-ray conducted at Heartbeat@Bedok from May 13 to May 15 for people with positive blood test results. Those who are unable to attend the on-site mobile chest X-ray can do so at SATA CommHealth.
The agency said that those with normal chest X-ray results will be referred to SATA CommHealth Bedok to start TB preventive treatment, which is voluntary, with the cost covered by CDA.
Those with an abnormal chest X-ray will be further evaluated at the National Tuberculosis Care Centre and will commence treatment promptly if diagnosed with active TB disease.
CDA said that contact tracing for each active TB disease case will be conducted in accordance with "current contact tracing protocols to identify and evaluate close contacts for screening".
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