Tuberculosis has been linked to the deaths of two inmates at the Hunts Bay Police Station lockup in St Andrew between August 2024 and April 2026. Over the same period, more than 30 other cases were registered in state detention facilities.

Also called TB, the bacterial disease primarily affects the lungs and spreads easily through the air via coughing, sneezing, singing and talking. It causes severe damage to the lungs and other organs. Active TB is curable with a six month course of special antibiotics. It is highly fatal without proper medication, with up to two-thirds of untreated cases resulting in death.

Several detainees at Hunts Bay are currently undergoing treatment for the disease.