Tuberculosis Case Reported at Rockville High
Parents at Rockville High School (RHS) are being informed of a case of active tuberculosis (TB) at the school.
Rockville High School
PHOTO | Phil Fabrizio
“The affected individual is being treated at this time and there is no risk of additional exposure to any students or staff at this time,” wrote Ulder Tillman, Montgomery County health officer, and Billie Jean Benson, RHS principal, in a jointly authored letter that is posted on the school’s website.
Health officials are not releasing any information about the identity of the person who is infected with TB.
According to their May 26th letter, “it usually takes at least eight hours of close contact in a small room for TB transmission to occur and the air space is only contagious when the untreated patient is actually present.”
Health officials said a healthy person cannot contact TB from casual exposure such as passing in a hall or sitting in a cafeteria for an hour.
Although the risk of a child being infected from this exposure is small, officials are recommending testing of all students and staff who were in any class or after school activity with this individual between Feb. 2015 and May 2015.
“If testing is indicated for your child, you will be contacted via another letter within the next week,” Tillman and Benson said in the letter. “Testing is recommended to take place now and at 8-10 weeks.”
TB is a disease caused by germs that are spread from person to person through the air. According to a CDC fact sheet, general symptoms include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. Other symptoms include coughing and chest pain.
You can read the notification letter posted on the school’s website here.
You can find out more about TB here.
Health Department to Send Letters to Those at Risk for TB Exposure at Rockville High
Students at Rockville High School should expect to get a letter today that will let them know whether they should be tested for exposure to tuberculosis. On Tuesday, students at the school were informed of an active case of TB confirmed at the high school. Montgomery County Department of Heath and Human Services Spokesperson Mary Anderson […]
Tuberculosis Case Reported at Rockville High
Parents at Rockville High School (RHS) are being informed of a case of active tuberculosis (TB) at the school. “The affected individual is being treated at this time and there is no risk of additional exposure to any students or staff at this time,” wrote Ulder Tillman, Montgomery County health officer, and Billie Jean Benson, […]
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