Scanning electron micrograph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB. (credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

“She’s cured!”

Health officials in Washington state are celebrating the clean bill of health for one particularly notable resident: the woman who refused to isolate and get treatment for her active case of infectious tuberculosis for over a year. She even spent around three months on the lam, dodging police as they tried to execute a civil arrest warrant. During her time as a fugitive, police memorably reported that she took a city bus to go to a casino.

The woman, identified only as V.N. in court documents, had court orders to get treatment for her tuberculosis infection beginning in January of 2022. She refused to comply as the court renewed the orders on a monthly basis and held at least 17 hearings on the matter. The judge in her case issued an arrest warrant in March of 2023, but V.N. evaded law enforcement. She was finally arrested in June of last year and spent 23 days getting court-ordered treatment behind bars before being released with conditions.