MetroAccess Riders Are Warned of Tuberculosis Risk

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By Sandhya Somashekhar

Washington Post staff writer
Friday, December 5, 2008; 3:50 PM

Health departments in the District, Maryland and Virginia have begun notifying as many as 762 MetroAccess customers who came in contact with a driver who has been diagnosed with tuberculosis, according to Metro officials.

Metro authorized the release of the names, phone numbers and other personal information for customers and staff who came in close contact with the driver from April through mid-October. The names were given to the District of Columbia TB Control Program, which is working with the health departments on the notifications, Metro officials said.

The departments are only contacting people who need to be tested. Metro did not immediately say whether any of them has tested positive for TB. Metro sent a letter last month to 762 people whose personal information was given to the TB control program.

MetroAccess is the agency's curb-to-curb service for disabled people who are unable to use trains and buses.