A nurse at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, Calif., exposed more than 1,000 people to tuberculosis, according to a New York Times report.
Here are five key statistics:
1. The hospital may have exposed 1,026 people to tuberculosis, including 350 infants and 368 parents. There are 308 employees who could have been affected.
2. The patients, staff and visitors were notified of the exposure, although the risk of infection is low, according to a hospital statement. However, the consequences of the exposure could be severe.
3. The hospital has begun screening in the urgent care clinic for exposed patients and staff members. An antibiotic, isoniazid, can prevent the exposed infants from developing the disease.
4. The hospital's CEO Paul Lorenz made a Facebook post in an attempt to reassure patients that the hospital employees were "properly tested for infectious disease." He hopes to quell fears of exposure in the future.
5. The infected nurse had tested negative for tuberculosis in a September check-up, but a diagnosis was made after an X-ray was taken for a separate condition. Last year, there were 9,421 cases of tuberculosis despite the available vaccination.