Woman Jailed 10 Months for Refusing TB Medicine

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Woman Jailed 10 Months for Refusing TB Medicine

Los Angeles Times Online (www.latimes.com) (05/31/99)
Arax, Mark

Hongkham Souvannarath, a native of Southeast Asia and mother of seven, was jailed in California's Fresno County for 10 months for refusing to take medication for tuberculosis. The woman was released last week, under house arrest, pending a July 15 hearing, following to the actions of public interest lawyers. County authorities explain they must jail TB patients who refuse medication, because there are no other facilities to house such people; however, officials admit that up to seven months of Souvannarath's imprisonment was illegal. Officials were particularly wary about Souvannarath's case because her inconsistent treatment had developed a "super bug" form of TB. Fresno county recorded 114 cases of TB last year, including seven cases of drug-resistant disease.

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