TERRE HAUTE —
A suspected case of tuberculosis at a Vigo County middle school is cause for concern, but health officials are taking appropriate precautionary steps, says Union Hospital’s chief medical officer
Dr. John Bolinger said the suspected TB case at Woodrow Wilson Middle School “is a concern,” but Vigo County and state health departments “are there to handle situations like this. They’ll do the right thing.”
His advice?
“Don’t panic. Listen to the Vigo County Health Department. If officials recommend testing, get it. If they recommend treatment, do it,” Bolinger said.
Both latent TB infection, where there are no symptoms and germs can’t be spread, and active TB disease, which usually means symptoms and germs can be spread, are treatable, but they must be recognized and diagnosed first, he said.
If a person with an active TB case is not treated, that person can die, Bolinger said.
Tuberculosis is a disease caused by germs that are spread from person to person through the air. TB germs are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings. The germs can stay in the air for several hours, depending on the environment, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
If the suspected TB case is confirmed, the level of risk for Wilson students and staff to become infected would depend on their level of exposure (whether there was close proximity over and over), their age and whether they have underlying health factors that might put them more at risk.
Those whose immune systems are compromised, and those with chronic diseases such as diabetes or lung disease, would be at greater risk, Bolinger said.
According to the CDC, people who breathe in air containing TB germs can become infected; this is called latent TB infection.
People with latent TB infection have TB germs in their bodies, but they are not sick because the germs are not active. These people do not have symptoms of TB disease, and they cannot spread the germs to others.
However, they may develop TB disease in the future. They are often prescribed treatment to prevent them from developing TB disease.
A positive tuberculin skin test indicates if a person has been infected with TB germs; but it does not tell if a person has TB disease.
On Monday, the suspected case of tuberculosis at Woodrow Wilson prompted health authorities to announce they will provide free TB testing next Tuesday for students and staff at the eastside Terre Haute school.
Testing is encouraged as a precaution, but it is not mandatory, and students must have information/consent forms signed by parents or guardians to get the tests.
Health officials anticipate testing up to 1,000 individuals Tuesday at the school, and they will check results May 31 to see if students or staff have positive tests.
Officials say there is a tight timeline because school is out Friday and Monday, and students’ last day of classes is May 31.
Meanwhile, a school district official said student absences were somewhat higher than normal Tuesday at Woodrow Wilson, and some parents have opted to have their children go to a private physician for a TB skin test.
Ray Azar, VCSC director of student services, said that on a typical day, about 5 to 6 percent of students would be absent. On Tuesday, about 9 percent of students were absent at Wilson, but the increase may or may not be related to concerns about the suspect case of TB, he said.
The person suspected of having TB is no longer at school. Officials say the individual was either a student or employee, but they will not be more specific in order to protect the person’s identity.
Health authorities prefer to do the skin tests at school as part of the mass clinic to see whether anyone tests positive, Azar said. That would determine who else might need to be tested.
If parents prefer to take a child to a private physician for the TB skin test, “we would like a copy of the results. It helps with our investigation,” said Joni Foulkes, Vigo County Health Department administrator.
Both the school and health department have received calls from parents concerned about the suspected case of TB, but they have not been inundated, officials say.
“For the most part, people understand. It’s something no one could foresee,” Azar said. “Everyone is doing everything possible to make sure kids are safe and tested.”
The health department is leading the effort. “The school district is proactive in this, and we are doing everything recommended,” Azar said.
Foulkes said that if the suspected case of tuberculosis at Woodrow Wilson turns out to be an active case, the person probably was contagious starting in December.
The individual first exhibited some symptoms in March, which means the person probably had active TB three months earlier, she said.
While the individual exhibited some symptoms in March, that would not necessarily trigger a concern about TB, she said.
Various steps are involved in confirming an active TB case, and the suspect case is now “in the final step,” which involves confirmation of a culture that takes about two weeks.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.
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