Contagious TB Man Believed to be in Mexico

A Santa Maria farm worker carrying a dangerous and highly contagious form of tuberculosis, or TB, is believed to have fled back across the border to his native Mexico.

The search for 24 year old Augustin Zeferino has included an unusual alliance between Santa Barbara County Public health, District Attorney and Sheriff’s Department.

“I’ve been here 25 years and this is the first time I’ve ever been involved in any kind of criminal case working with Public Health”, says Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Robert Wright.

Arrest warrants have been issued for Zeferino for cutting off his GPS ankle bracelet and failing to take his prescribed medication.

County Public Health officials say anyone who comes in close contact with Zeferino for an extended period of time is exposed to the highly contagious form of TB he is carrying.

The Sheriff’s Department has been focused on trying to find Zeferino.

“The Sheriff’s Department has gone out to the residence where he lived, interviewed his roommate, who informed us that he fled to Mexico”, Lt. Wright says, “we also went to some of his family that we have in the Santa Maria area and they also told us that he went to Mexico.”

Its now an international manhunt with growing concern on this side of the border due to Zeferino’s extremely contagious condition.

“Just this morning we had a conference call with the federal government, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), and made them aware of our findings and where we think he is in Mexico”, Lt. Wright says, “they are going to contact the Mexican authorities and we’ll give it to them to go out there and try and find him.”

“I don’t know what kind of priority case this is for the Mexican government, finding a highly contagious tuberculosis patient, but we are passing along information to them”, Lt. Wright says, “Border Patrol has his information, if he does try to cross back in, there are contingency plans on how agencies are going to deal with that and also in case he’s located anywhere in the United States.”