Cases of tuberculosis continue to rise in Nunavik
Health officials have organized medical screenings to prevent further outbreak
Health officials in Nunavik are organizing a mass screening today for tuberculosis following another outbreak that started this summer.
In the town of Salluit, 25 cases have been reported since June.
Nunavik residents are invited to the local health clinic for both a skin test and a chest X-ray.
The director of public health said that those who are sick will be prescribed medication to be taken for six months.
Health officials in Nunavik are trying to prevent the disease.
People who are carriers of the bacteria and are contagious aren't always sick or show symptoms so it is important for the town of 1,400 residents to be screened.
In the last several years, there have been dozens of reported cases of tuberculosis in Inuit communities.
There was a small outbreak in 2013 in northern Quebec including 15 reported cases in Salluit.