A council was forced to pay out £9,000 in compensation to a worker who caught Tuberculosis from a PHONE handset.
The Derby City Council employee, who hasn’t been named, was helping a resident when they contracted the deadly lung disease.
A phone translation service handset was repeatedly passed between the pair which was how the TB spread.
A Freedom of Information request revealed the bumper payout was made in 2013/14 after the incident in the Arboretum ward of Derby.
Labour councillor Fareed Hussain, who represents the Arboretum ward on Derby City Council, yesterday (Thur) urged anybody to visit their doctor if they felt they were affected.
He said: “I have come across other people in the past who have caught TB.
“I would advise anybody who fears they may have it to go to the doctors.”
Derbyshire GP Dr John Grenville also said once TB has spread once there is a chance other people could be affected.
He added: “TB is usually spread by people who are coughing and people breathe it in that way.
“It is quite rare these days, although in the 1950s it was a common disease and it affected a lot of people.
“It was a serious problem but due to advances in medicine and other factors the disease is not as common as it once was.
“It is a disease which is common in people who are Eastern European and also HIV positive.
“If you have HIV then your immune system is weaker so you have more chance of catching it.
“I have certainly never heard of it being passed because of a headset.
“If it has been spread once in that way then there is a chance other people could be affected.
“The symptoms tend to be things like a fever, night sweats, weight loss, swelling and tiredness.
“If anybody has those symptoms and feels they have been affected than I would tell them to get medical help.”
A spokesman for Derby City Council said: “The council is focused on health matters and maintains its legal duty to protect employees health and well-being.” [button]Click Here[/button]
