Employee at Amazon fulfillment center in Oxnard diagnosed with tuberculosis; 180 potentially exposed

OXNARD, Calif. (KABC) -- An employee at an Amazon fulfillment center in Oxnard was "recently" diagnosed with tuberculosis, and 180 people at the location were potentially exposed to the disease, health officials said Friday.

"There is currently no known danger to the public," the Ventura County Public Heath department said in a news release.

Members of the agency's staff coordinated with Amazon officials to notify the company's employees on Monday and Tuesday of the possible exposure, the statement said.

Health department officials hosted educational sessions for workers where information on tuberculosis, testing, symptoms and treatment plans were offered over two days, according to the agency. Beginning early next week, free testing will be available for people identified as close contacts.

The health department's tuberculosis program "will continue monitoring this situation and work with the appropriate state and local agencies on surveillance, testing, and tracking of the disease," the news release said.

"We're committed to the safety and well-being of our employees and would like to thank Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) for their partnership as we work together to help share the facts about tuberculosis with our teams," Amazon spokesman Richard Rocha said in a statement. "We're thankful no other employees have reported a tuberculosis diagnosis or related symptoms, and appreciate the testing that VCPH is making available to our employees out of an abundance of caution."