Seven nursing home employees who tested positive for tuberculosis are suing Pinecrest Hospital.

The lawsuit claims the state-run nursing home in Beckley allowed bacteria from the highly contagious disease to escape an isolation ward when it installed wall air conditioning units in 2001. That allegedly exposed the workers to the potentially deadly disease.

Lewisburg attorney Barry L. Bruce filed the lawsuit Thursday in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

Pinecrest later remedied the problem. But Bruce questioned whether it was adequate to protect patients, employees and visitors from exposure to the highly contagious disease. The TB unit at Pinecrest is now closed.

Department of Health and Human Resources spokesman John Law says the agency can't comment because it hasn't been served with the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs are custodian Kyle King; health-service workers Cheryl Farley and Sandy Gregory; security guards Ronald Davis, Jerry Helton and Danny Sutphin; and administrative assistant Cynthia Hairston.