Tuberculosis outbreak declared in inner-city Edmonton: Primary Care Alberta
Decision to declare outbreak made in October after 2 cases of same strain confirmed.
Nunavik health board’s infectious disease clinical lead, Yassen Tcholakov, said tuberculosis, while curable, kills most infected patients within a few years if left untreated. Those who are treated are sometimes left with lifelong problems like scarring on their lungs. Félix Lebel/Radio-Canada
CBC News Edmonton Nov 13, 2025
Provincial health officials have declared an outbreak of tuberculosis in Edmonton’s core, after lab tests confirmed two inner-city residents had the same strain of the infectious disease.
Primary Care Alberta (PCA) issued a news release Thursday that announced the outbreak. But in that release, it stated the decision to declare an outbreak was made some time last month, once the lab results for those two Edmontonians came back.
The results suggest there was recent local transmission, PCA said.
| Number of active tuberculosis cases, by year. Source: Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services |
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs, but can affect other parts of the body. It can spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes and spits, but is treatable with antibiotics.
PCA, a newly created provincial agency that handles primary health services, said it has identified 12 tuberculosis cases so far this year that were connected to central Edmonton and people experiencing homelessness.
Three of those people have the same strain of the disease and are deemed part of the outbreak, the health agency said.
| WATCH | Watch TB outbreak in inner-city Edmonton |
| A tuberculosis outbreak in Edmonton is primarily impacting the city’s homeless population. Most of the cases are from the disease reawakening in people’s bodies as opposed to being contracted from another person. CBC |
| WATCH | Tuberculosis on the rise in parts of Canada |
| Health officials in Montreal are seeing a concerning spike in tuberculosis cases, and it’s not the only Canadian city seeing an increase. CBC |
With files from Nicholas Frew
Source CBC News Edmonton
Also see
Edmonton doctor says inner-city TB outbreak low risk to general public CBC
Nunavik tuberculosis action plan to be finalized in coming weeks, says health ministry CBC
Nunavik’s 14 mayors call for public health emergency over tuberculosis cases CBC
Screening clinics for tuberculosis opening up in Inukjuak, Que., amid rising cases across Nunavik CBC
Québec ‘closely monitoring’ tuberculosis in Nunavik, minister says, as doctors call for more resources CBC
Montréal health officials call for better access to tuberculosis care after sharp rise in cases CBC
Nunavik health board proposes hiring private staff to help curb tuberculosis outbreak CBC
Nunavik health officials look to tackle tuberculosis as region faces spike in cases CBC
