Globe-trotting TB patient has lung surgery

Jul 17 2007

The globe-trotting TB patient who apparently flew to Europe against the advice of the Center for Disease and Control (CDC) has had part of his lung removed.

Andrew Speaker, a 31 year old Atlanta lawyer has undergone surgery to remove damaged and diseased lung tissue at the University of Colorado Hospital and is said to be recovering well.

Though Speaker was led to believe he had a rare and virulent form of TB which is multi drug-resistant, his TB was later downgraded to a less severe form of the disease.

Speaker was at the centre of a worldwide health scare in May when he flew to Greece on his honeymoon after being told that his tuberculosis might be drug resistant and he was not to fly in commercial airplanes by health officials.

Speaker and his family have denied they were ever told he was not to fly but in so doing he exposed exposing hundreds of travelers to the TB.

Speaker has had infected tissue the size of a tennis ball removed because his condition has not improved; the surgery was said to be "minimally invasive".