Active tuberculosis case from Bedok screening has commenced treatment & is doing well
One person has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB) so far after a screening exercise at Heartbeat@Bedok that was conducted after three clusters emerged.
Contact tracing is underway to identify and evaluate his close contacts, said the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) in a press release on Tuesday (19 May).
Source: Communicable Diseases Agency – CDA on Facebook
Active tuberculosis case among 3,525 screened at Bedok
The case, who is among 3,525 individuals who were screened for TB since 2 May, is doing well, CDA said
He has started treatment and will be non-infectious after completing two weeks of treatment.
CDA has previously said that contact tracing for each active TB case will be carried out in accordance with current contact tracing protocols.
14.4% tested positive for TB, required X-ray
The active TB case was uncovered after 14.4%, or 509 people, tested positive for TB during blood tests that were mostly conducted from 4 to 7 May.
Source: @e2event.sg on TikTok
These positive cases had to undergo a follow-up chest X-ray from 13 to 15 May to determine if they had active TB or latent TB infection (LTBI).
The other 85.6%, or 3,016 people, who tested negative did not require follow-up action.
42 more people show X-ray abnormalities
CDA said that 447 people who tested positive had completed their chest X-rays, including the active TB cases.
42 more people have minor abnormalities on their chest X-ray, and will undergo further evaluation at the National Tuberculosis Care Centre (NTSC) as a precaution.
While they may not have active TB, they will nevertheless undergo a thorough clinical assessment, CDA noted.
The remaining 404 people who tested positive have normal chest X-rays and may have had previous infections or LTBI.
Source: CDC on Unsplash. Photo for illustration purposes only.
Rates of TB ‘within expectations’
CDA noted that the rates of active TB and LTBI detected during the Bedok screening were “within expectations”, considering TB is endemic in Singapore.
It explained that latent TB infection “is not uncommon” in the Singapore population — the prevalence among Singapore residents in 2015 was 12.7%, it previously stated.
In older ages, the rate may be up to 30%.
As for active TB, 1,156 Singapore residents were diagnosed with the disease in 2024, an incidence rate of 27.6 cases per 100,000 residents.
Bedok TB screening concluded
CDA has declared that the Bedok screening has concluded, based on the results so far.
The cases of the remaining individuals will be followed up at the SATA CommHealth Bedok Clinic at 351 Chai Chee Street, or the NTSC.
Screening and further tests will be offered free of charge until 5 June.
CDA expressed appreciation to all who came forward for screening, including tenants, workers and those who frequented the three clusters in Bedok Central — namely Heartbeat@Bedok, Block 216 Bedok Food Centre & Market and Singapore Pools Bedok Betting Centre.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Communicable Diseases Agency – CDA on Facebook.
