AURORA, Colo., July 17 (UPI) -- The tuberculosis-infected Atlanta man who sparked an international health scare after taking international flights underwent surgery in Denver Tuesday.
Andrew Speaker, a 31-year-old lawyer, had the diseased portion of one lung removed by doctors at the University of Colorado Hospital, CNN reported.
To protect the doctors and the public from exposure to Speaker's highly contagious form of tuberculosis, doctors decided to seal the removed lung tissue in a bag and leave it in Speaker's chest.
He will continue to be monitored and treated with drugs for eight weeks after the surgery. If tests come back negative, he will then be considered non-contagious and released from quarantine.
Speaker angered and panicked many in May when he allegedly disregarded health officials' advice and traveled to Europe for his wedding. By traveling, he may have exposed fellow air passengers to an extremely drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis known as MDR-TB.
Speaker maintains he was asymptomatic and health officials did not tell him he was a risk to others, including his family.
Some passengers who traveled with him, including one who tested positive in a preliminary tuberculosis skin test, have filed a lawsuit seeking $1.3 million in damages.
