Hundreds of patients may have been at risk of being infected with tuberculosis by a hospital employee while receiving treatment at Aalborg University Hospital.

The employee was reportedly infected with the disease while being in contact with the patients and the hospital has called in 440 patients for a check-up.

“The moment we discovered that the employee had tuberculosis, the individual was placed on sick leave and isolated,” Michael Braüner Schmidt, a spokesperson at Aalborg University Hospital, told Nordjyske Stiftstidende.

“When we realised that one of our employees had the illness, we asked the head doctor at the department for lung diseases to evaluate whether others could be at risk of being infected. Those who have been in close contact with the employee have been called in for a check-up.”

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The employee in question is receiving treatment, and other colleagues and family members have also been checked.

It remains unknown how the employee was infected with tuberculosis, but the hospital is working on identifying the source.

“We estimate that the risk of infection is small, but we are taking no chances. Tuberculosis is a serious illness, but it is treatable. The most important thing is to have it diagnosed,” said Schmidt.