Health authorities in Colorado Springs said they won't know until early next week the cause of a suspicious death from a communicable disease.

Cultures must be grown.

Sharon Miracle, hospital spokeswoman, said it was too early to say whether it might be tuberculosis.

The patient arrived at the emergency room Friday and later died.

The patient was put in an isolation room and air flows controlled as a precautionary measure.

Staff and family wore personal protective gear.

Tuberculosis, particularly anti-drug resistant strains, has attracted worldwide attention since an Atlanta lawyer named Andrew Speaker was quarantined at National Jewish Hospital last week.

Medical experts say TB is significantly less contagious than flu, SARS and other maladies that have led to airport alerts