The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is putting a call out to the provincial and federal governments for more supports for those with tuberculosis (TB).
The health unit board recently passed a motion asking for funding, changes to OHIP regulations, and further improvements in tools for those affected by TB.
According to WECHU, in 2024, the region experienced an approximately 70 per cent increase in cases compared to the previous year. This included 16 confirmed active cases, one suspect case, and 80 identified contacts. In 2025, the region saw 16 active cases, along with 13 suspect cases and 244 identified contacts.
The health unit is now advocating for provincial funding to support isolation housing, income replacement, and wraparound supports for individuals with TB, and for the province to cover the cost of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) under OHIP which is a blood test that detects TB - the test is approximately $100 out of pocket.
They're also urging the federal government to increase investments for improved diagnostic tools, more effective treatment regimens, and vaccine research to prevent TB progression and transmission.
Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, Medical Officer of Health at WECHU, says the risk is low, but it's there.
"They have some sort of persistent cough, or fever, or weight loss, those symptoms, they need to talk to their healthcare provider, and then ask the provider to provide sufficient testing to rule out TB."
He says they're looking for provincial funding to support those who are forced to isolate.
"This has a big toll on the families, and the people who have been isolated. With this motion we wanted to advocate for those people to receive some support from the government while they're in isolation and they're in the pathway to healing."
Dr. Aloosh says they're urging the federal government to increase investments.
"Whatever is happening around the world will affect us here in Windsor-Essex, so if the federal government helps with those initiatives with better tests, better treatment, better vaccines... then not only is Windsor-Essex safe, but also the rest of the country."
Tuberculosis is a disease caused by bacteria that enter the body through the air you breathe and cause an infection, usually in the lungs.
Sometimes infections can happen in other parts of the body, such as the brain, lymph nodes, kidneys, spine, bones, and even the skin.