But the issue is extremely sensitive. In Russia, many prisoners are almost immune to conventional treatments because of multi-drug resistance. British officials have stressed there was no comparison between the infrastructure of the health or prison services in Britain and the dilapidated systems in Russia. They also said the Pentonville outbreak only involved resistance to one drug rather than an armoury of treatments. Those infected with TB spread the germ from their lungs through coughing, sneezing or spitting, but it usually requires close and prolonged contact with others for the disease to spread.
Most patients stop being infectious within a couple of weeks of treatment.
Occupational health requirements for staff are currently under review. Authorities declined to say how many in the Pentonville outbreak were prisoners or staff, or whether women were among those outside the prison who had contracted the disease. The first case was a prisoner diagnosed in January last year, three months after becoming an inmate. Five of the patients were in the prison for some of the time the first man was likely to be infectious. The onset of their symptoms ranged between two and nine months after contact with this person.