— Baltimore City Fire crews are on scene at Johns Hopkins Hospital where there's a hazmat situation after people may have been exposed to tuberculosis after vials were possibly broken. Fire officials have confirmed the hazmat situation and some people were evacuated. We cannot confirm if the entire building was evacuated, however from Chopper 13 we can see a large group of people being escorted out of the building. "Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects your lungs. The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes," according to the Mayo Clinic. Caroline Street is closed at Jefferson Street. The incident occurred around 12:20 p.m. At this time there is no information on the exact number of people exposed, but officials are asking that people avoid the area.<doc-sep>A tuberculosis exposure scare on the campus of Johns Hopkins Hospital prompted evacuations Thursday afternoon. Two cancer research buildings on Jefferson Street were evacuated as Baltimore City fire crews assessed those who may have been exposed.Hazmat crews were directed to an internal bridge between two cancer research buildings. "There was a small tube that contained a frozen sample, and it was dropped and the lid came off while the sample was still frozen inside," said Dr. Landon King, executive vice dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.According to Johns Hopkins Medicine officials, the amount of frozen tuberculosis released was the equivalent of a few drops. No one was hurt. "In fact, we have determined that there is actually no risk, zero risk to anybody involved. So there is no preventive measure or testing required for anyone in the buildings as a result of this event," King said.Hopkins has a large TB research facility, and the sample was going to be used for that purpose.As a precaution, authorities evacuated the two cancer research buildings. The buildings have since reopened.Hospital officials shut off the HVAC system immediately and sent text messages to employees. "They just let us know that it was a hazmat situation. They let us know the location, where it was. Then, they kept everyone from out of the perimeter, and they evacuated everyone from my area safely," said Mr. Robinson, a hospital employee.The emergency disrupted other hospital business. "I don't think I'm going to have an appointment this afternoon, the way it looks," said Murphy Davis, a patient.In a statement released at 4:44 p.m., a hospital spokeswoman said, "Earlier today, a small sample of frozen tuberculosis that was being used for research purposes was inadvertently released in a non-patient area. This occurred on a bridge between two research buildings that do not connect to the hospital. The Baltimore City Fire and Rescue unit initiated hazmat protocols and, out of an abundance of caution, both research buildings were evacuated. Public safety officials as well as infectious disease experts have now cleared the buildings, and the evacuation has been lifted. We have confirmed that there was no risk to anyone on campus. We want to thank our employees for their quick response to the situation as well as the Baltimore City Fire Department. "Craig Harcum, pastor of the nearby First Baptist Church, also monitored the emergency closely. "If we had to evacuate, we would make sure all of our staff, day care and all those things would leave the premises and make sure everybody is safe, and if there was any assistance we could offer Hopkins, we would offer any assistance we can to make sure we can help out the community," Harcum said.Refresh wbaltv.com and our app, and watch 11 News for late-breaking updates. A tuberculosis exposure scare on the campus of Johns Hopkins Hospital prompted evacuations Thursday afternoon. Two cancer research buildings on Jefferson Street were evacuated as Baltimore City fire crews assessed those who may have been exposed. Advertisement Hazmat crews were directed to an internal bridge between two cancer research buildings. "There was a small tube that contained a frozen sample, and it was dropped and the lid came off while the sample was still frozen inside," said Dr. Landon King, executive vice dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine officials, the amount of frozen tuberculosis released was the equivalent of a few drops. No one was hurt. "In fact, we have determined that there is actually no risk, zero risk to anybody involved. So there is no preventive measure or testing required for anyone in the buildings as a result of this event," King said. Hopkins has a large TB research facility, and the sample was going to be used for that purpose. As a precaution, authorities evacuated the two cancer research buildings. The buildings have since reopened. Hospital officials shut off the HVAC system immediately and sent text messages to employees. "They just let us know that it was a hazmat situation. They let us know the location, where it was. Then, they kept everyone from out of the perimeter, and they evacuated everyone from my area safely," said Mr. Robinson, a hospital employee. The emergency disrupted other hospital business. "I don't think I'm going to have an appointment this afternoon, the way it looks," said Murphy Davis, a patient. In a statement released at 4:44 p.m., a hospital spokeswoman said, "Earlier today, a small sample of frozen tuberculosis that was being used for research purposes was inadvertently released in a non-patient area. This occurred on a bridge between two research buildings that do not connect to the hospital. The Baltimore City Fire and Rescue unit initiated hazmat protocols and, out of an abundance of caution, both research buildings were evacuated. Public safety officials as well as infectious disease experts have now cleared the buildings, and the evacuation has been lifted. We have confirmed that there was no risk to anyone on campus. We want to thank our employees for their quick response to the situation as well as the Baltimore City Fire Department." Craig Harcum, pastor of the nearby First Baptist Church, also monitored the emergency closely. "If we had to evacuate, we would make sure all of our staff, day care and all those things would leave the premises and make sure everybody is safe, and if there was any assistance we could offer Hopkins, we would offer any assistance we can to make sure we can help out the community," Harcum said. Refresh wbaltv.com and our app, and watch 11 News for late-breaking updates. WBAL-TV\David Collins This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Hopkins Dr.Landin King and Fire Chief Niles Ford update TB incident on Hopkins Campus. Dr. King says a small tube of a frozen sample of TB used for research was dropped. The lid came off. Sample equivalent of a few drops remained inside. pic.twitter.com/bpda9RwNd3 — David Collins (@dcollinsWBAL) July 5, 2018 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Dr King seen here with Fire officials , says no one was hurt. There will be no need for precautionary medical steps to be taken. The building is now open. pic.twitter.com/L2rCO0hh9z — David Collins (@dcollinsWBAL) July 5, 2018 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This is the rest of the message Hopkins employees received about the possible TB exposure pic.twitter.com/D2BeWbHKrY — David Collins (@dcollinsWBAL) July 5, 2018 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This is the message Hopkins employees received about the possible TB exposure. pic.twitter.com/g49X0zowme — David Collins (@dcollinsWBAL) July 5, 2018 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. City Health Department personnel just arrived. pic.twitter.com/PKHd8X7rKL — David Collins (@dcollinsWBAL) July 5, 2018 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Hospital employees say a fire alarm was pulled and they were subsequently told to evacuate 1501 Jefferson Street. Some employees say they were advised not to walk down a certain hallway. Fire fighters told them everything is ok pic.twitter.com/9wciJjoKq6 — David Collins (@dcollinsWBAL) July 5, 2018 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Hazardous exposure incident Hopkins. pic.twitter.com/fC4nyT3p8h — David Collins (@dcollinsWBAL) July 5, 2018<doc-sep>BALTIMORE, Maryland — Two Johns Hopkins buildings were evacuated Thursday afternoon after reports of a small amount of tuberculosis being released inside their cancer buildings. The fire chief told WMAR television station in Baltimore the David Koch Cancer Research Building has been evacuated for a hazmat situation, which was later released to be the tuberculosis outbreak. Johns Hopkins sent the following statement regarding the situation: “The Baltimore City Fire Department is actively investigating the possible release of a small amount of tuberculosis during transportation in an internal bridge between Cancer Research Building 1 and Cancer Research Building 2. Employees were in the area when the incident occurred, and these employees have been isolated and are expected to be evaluated by the fire department. As a cautionary measure, both Cancer Research Buildings have been evacuated. So far, all indications are that no other individuals have been exposed, however the buildings will remain evacuated until cleared by public safety officials.” Traffic is shut down on North Carolina Street from Orleans to East Monument Streets as a result of the evacuation. Baltimore Fire crews are inside investigating at the moment. Click below to see more pictures from the scene:<doc-sep>
Vials of the dangerous tuberculosis bacteria broke at Johns Hopkins Hospital Thursday, causing a stir of activity around the complex as hazmat personnel tried to contain any contamination of the bacteria that is known to cause life-threatening illness. Crowds of medical staff streamed out of the hospital on Thursday afternoon after the Baltimore medical facility ordered an evacuation of two buildings after possible tuberculosis exposure. Aerial shots of the scene from the local television station WBAL-TV show two fire trucks parked outside the complex as onlookers stand nearby. The Baltimore City Fire Department is currently investigating the release of tuberculosis, which was being transported in an internal bridge connecting two cancer research buildings, according to a statement from Kim Hoppe, a spokesperson for the hospital. Latest from evacuations at Johns Hopkins Hosp https://t.co/dEbHfCCMP2 — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) July 5, 2018 "Employees were in the area when the incident occurred, and these employees have been isolated and are expected to be evacuated by the fire department," Hoppe said in a statement to Newsweek. "So far, all indications are that no other individuals have been exposed, however the buildings will remain evacuated until cleared by public safety officials." According to eyewitness reports from WBAL-TV, a fire alarm went off during a frenzy of people leaving the buildings. Some employees said they were told not to walk down a certain hallway. Other people who might have been exposed are being sheltered in place. Tuberculosis is a highly contagious bacteria that can be spread through the air. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but it can attack other organs, like the kidneys or the brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most recent data from the CDC shows that tuberculosis cases have seen a decline in recent years, with just 9,272 cases reported in the United States in 2016. Not everyone infected with the bacteria will become sick, but the most extreme cases can be fatal. SaveSave