The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and the Interior Health Authority are issuing a public health advisory to identify passengers who traveled on Greyhound bus #1015 and were exposed to an active case of tuberculosis.

The case involves a person who traveled on Greyhound bus #1015 from Merritt to Calgary on January 11 during the infectious stage of the disease. Calgary health officials notified Interior Health on Feb. 6 that the person had recently been diagnosed as a case of active TB. The individual remains in Calgary receiving treatment.

Health officials from Interior Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control (an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority) are working in co-operation with Greyhound and health officials in Alberta to ensure that all contacts of the passenger in question are identified and appropriately screened. Identified contacts deemed to be at risk of infection will be tested and, if necessary, offered preventative treatment.

Greyhound bus #1015 originated in Vancouver on Jan. 11. It was scheduled to leave Vancouver at 1:45 p.m. but was behind schedule, eventually departing two hours later at 3:45 p.m. and arriving in Merritt at 7:50 p.m. that same day. The bus had capacity for up to 55 passengers, but was not full. Passengers who were on the bus from Merritt onwards may be at some risk of exposure.

As passenger records are incomplete (not all tickets had full names or addresses), this public notification is to help ensure that those who may be at risk contact public health officials.

The entire route of Greyhound bus #1015 on Jan. 11, 2008 was:
Vancouver-Abbotsford-Chilliwack-Hope-Merritt-Kamloops-Chase-Sorrento-Salmon Arm-Sicamous-Revelstoke-Calgary.

Persons who were on the bus may call the BC NurseLine at 1 866 215-4700 or their local health unit to determine whether they need to be tested, and for more information.

There is no health risk to the general population; only passengers who were on the bus from Merritt onwards are advised to have the TB skin test to help determine whether or not they were infected.