Four babies including a 10-week premature newborn were exposed to active tuberculosis at the Canberra Hospital and will be treated for the next six months.
Director of the thoracic unit Mark Hurwitz said the contact occurred in the antenatal unit on September 3.
The person who was carrying the disease could not be identified for privacy reasons.
''It's definitely not a staff member. It's a member of the public and definitely not a staff member,'' DrHurwitz said.
Tuberculosis is an infectious and potentially deadly airborne disease that primarily affects the lungs, causing scarring.
Dr Hurwitz said the carrier saw a general practitioner who referred them to hospital.
For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times
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