Worker At Mercedes Plant Tests Positive For TB

VANCE, Ala. (AP) – The Mercedes-Benz car factory in Alabama says it’s working with health officials and contacting employees after a worker was discovered with an active case of tuberculosis.

The Alabama Department of Public Health said Friday a worker at the plant in Vance had tested positive for the infectious pulmonary disease.

The factory has about 3,400 employees, and the company isn’t saying where the infected person works.

But Mercedes says it’s notifying all employees about the discovery. It says it’s working with health officials as they screen people who might have been exposed.

The health agency says tests will be administered to anyone who might have spent an extended amount of time near the person who is infected.

Tuberculosis is an airborne disease that can be fatal if left untreated.