That TB Jackass...

[voivod]

TB patient's name released; father-in-law works at CDC



• NEW: Patient's father-in-law works at CDC, has studied tuberculosis
• Patient identified as Atlanta lawyer Andrew Speaker, 31
• Speaker left Atlanta hospital, transferred to Denver hospital
• CDC looking for passengers who sat near him on earlier international flights

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The man infected with potentially fatal tuberculosis is receiving treatment at a Denver, Colorado, hospital as federal health officials continue to track down airline passengers who may have been exposed to the illness.

The man has been identified by multiple medical and law enforcement sources as Andrew Speaker, 31, a PERSONAL INJURY lawyer from Atlanta, Georgia. Hospital officials have not disclosed his name.

Speaker's father-in-law works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, an agency spokesman said Thursday.

The father-in-law, Robert C. Cooksey, is a microbiologist who has conducted research on tuberculosis for the National Center for Infectious Diseases, according to a CDC biography posted on the agency's Web site.

CNN affiliate WSB-TV reported that Cooksey gave his son-in-law, Speaker, "fatherly advice" after he found out his son-in-law had contracted the infectious disease, but did not advise him in any official capacity.

Cooksey did not immediately return a call to his work number seeking comment.

Speaker was put in isolation at Atlanta's Grady Hospital after tests last week confirmed he had extremely drug-resistant TB, or XDR TB, the most dangerous form of the illness.

He was transferred to Denver on Thursday morning on a private aircraft, hospital officials said.

A spokesman for Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center said Speaker was wearing a mask and was escorted by federal marshals when he arrived, but seemed normal otherwise.

"He looked kind of like you guys, more or less," spokesman William Allstetter told reporters.

He said Speaker told him he felt fine.

Allstetter said the patient would go through a series of tests and would be given two antibiotics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is tracking down airline passengers who may have come in contact with Speaker, who traveled to Europe while he was infected.

They have identified about 80 air passengers on the two trans-Atlantic flights they feel are most at risk for exposure.

Speaker was in Europe for his wedding and honeymoon at the time his XDR TB was diagnosed, although he was aware before the trip that he had a form of drug-resistant TB.

Health officials said they advised him not to travel, but they had no authority to prevent him from doing so.

After making it clear that he was set on traveling despite the warnings, the man asked during a meeting with county health officials whether it would help if he wore a mask, Fulton County's Dr. Eric Benning told CNN.

Since the county was not able legally to stop him from traveling, the officials recommended he at least wear a mask, Benning said. Speaker left for Europe a few days later.

Speaker told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that health officials told him they preferred he not travel, but knew about his plans for an overseas wedding and honeymoon.

He told the newspaper that he had planned to undergo an 18-month "cutting-edge treatment" at the Denver hospital after his honeymoon.

[willy4pres]

Freak'n lawyers, can't even get sick and die without screwing over the little guy!

[Apocalypso]

HA! I read the title of this thread and thought I pissed someone off!

T.B.

[ZeoBandit]

What a moron. He can defend himself in all the lawsuits that are going to be coming at him from people on that flight.

[cokemach1]

Send him to Iraq. Maybe he is our new secret weapon.

[Axxman300]

My oh my, seems a month or so ago some people here were outraged when a pilot kicked a 12 year old girl of his airplane because she was having a coughing fit.

[voivod]

My oh my, seems a month or so ago some people here were outraged when a pilot kicked a 12 year old girl of his airplane because she was having a coughing fit.

Good call...

[onefootoutthedoor]

Wait a minute here. If I understand the article correctly, it says he had the TB BEFORE he went to Europe? If this is the case, where in the/ how in the hell does someone in the US get infected with this strain of TB?

[SeriousDooDoo]

Wait a minute here. If I understand the article correctly, it says he had the TB BEFORE he went to Europe? If this is the case, where in the/ how in the hell does someone in the US get infected with this strain of TB?

... licking the seats from public toilets.

... ew.

[voivod]

Wait a minute here. If I understand the article correctly, it says he had the TB BEFORE he went to Europe? If this is the case, where in the/ how in the hell does someone in the US get infected with this strain of TB?

"Bring Your Future Son-In-Law to Work Day"

[ZeoBandit]

... licking the seats from public toilets.

... ew.

[cokemach1]

Hey, I heard on a morning TV show the chic that he went to marry was so hot that anybody would have taken the chance.

Anybody got pics? I heard they are "out there" but I can't find them.

[willy4pres]

He's a 31 year old lawyer that has been a "world traveler" for six years (since his mid 20's). That's about all I need to know about the man (after figuring in his obvious morality issues).

I hope they stick his ass in quarantine, kind of like this asshole we have locked up in Phoenix.

[voivod]

Hey, I heard on a morning TV show the chic that he went to marry was so hot that anybody would have taken the chance.

Anybody got pics? I heard they are "out there" but I can't find them.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/gr/gue...x?grid=1974599

[voivod]