If Wayne Farms is the good corporate citizen it claims to be, it needs to immediately make tuberculosis testing a condition of employment.

The chicken processing plant, with wages starting at $9.50 an hour and no English proficiency requirements, is a magnet for immigrants. Most of these immigrants come from countries with high rates of TB infection.

One former employee and one current employee — both immigrants from countries with high TB rates — have been diagnosed with active tuberculosis this month. Tax dollars have already been used to test almost 200 employees, and more tax dollars will be used to test another 600 employees Monday.

Forty-seven of the first 200 employees had been infected by the bacteria.

Last year, a Wayne Farms employee with active tuberculosis triggered the testing of 72 employees, 27 of whom turned out to be infected.

Far worse than the tax dollars involved is the risk of a local epidemic. If a school-age child contracts the disease, Decatur could be facing a health crisis.

TB is a frightening disease. It is fatal if untreated and extremely contagious.

Wayne Farms is in a position to solve the problem, and it should do so immediately. Its cooperation with health officials this month has been commendable, but waiting until after employees are diagnosed with the disease is not good enough.

For all future hiring, Wayne Farms should make tuberculosis screening a condition of employment. For those who test positive, completion of the treatment regimen and follow-up testing should be mandatory.

If Wayne Farms wants to be a good corporate citizen, that's the way to do it.

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