The Mississippi State Department of Health issued the following statement.
Today
the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) announces that a
case of active tuberculosis (TB) has been confirmed in a student at
Provine High School in Jackson. MSDH has been working with school
officials to identify students and staff who may have been potentially
exposed to the active TB case.
In
the coming weeks, MSDH will test approximately 200 students and faculty
for TB infection. They will be notified by a letter with details about
the upcoming testing.
Testing for TB is only recommended for those individuals notified by the MSDH.
The
risk of infection from this diagnosed case is minimal. The most common
way to become infected with TB is to have direct, extended contact with
someone who has active
TB disease. TB is a respiratory infection that spreads when a person
inhales airborne germs over an extended period of time in a confined
area with someone who has the active disease. Symptoms of active TB
disease include persistent coughing, coughing up blood,
night sweats and weight loss.
Exposure
to active TB disease can result in TB infection. TB infection is not
contagious and has no symptoms, but can develop into active TB disease
over time. A course
of treatment is recommended for those with TB infection in order to
prevent future TB disease.
“Provine
High School officials have taken all the necessary safety precautions
and have cooperated completely with us to ensure the further safety of
all students, faculty
and staff,” said MSDH State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers.
“It’s
important to remember that cases of TB are seen every year in the
state, and sometimes these kinds of investigations in school settings
are necessary. Identifying diseases
and limiting the spread to others is an activity we do routinely, and
there is absolutely no cause for concern,” said Dr. Byers.
MSDH
will hold a meeting with parents at the Provine High School Auditorium
on Thursday, February 14, from 6 -7 p.m. to address questions and
provide information.
6 comments:
Pretty soon it will be Ebola
I was putting off my belief that Jackson was a 3rd world city. Now, I firmly believe it.
Must have gotten it from the trailer trash at Ole Miss.
Tuberculosis discovered in Ole Miss student
By and Janice Broach | April 9, 2018 at 3:42 PM CDT - Updated August 14 at 5:00 AM
OXFORD, MS (WMC) - Mississippi State Department of Health is investigating a case of tuberculosis at Ole Miss.
The health department confirmed a student at the Oxford campus was found with a case of active tuberculosis.
The health department notified Ole Miss immediately, which in turn sent out an email to all students.
Health department and school officials said 500 students may have had prolonged exposure to the student with tuberculosis.
It's only the perception of a radical communicable disease.
I am a physician from MS. TB is not that uncommon in MS, esp the delta. Daily treatment is actually supervised by government officials as mandated by federal law, if its confirmed active pulmonary TB. TB can affect any organ, but it only infectious if someone is coughing out particles during an active infection in the lungs. TB can lay dormant in lungs, "called latent TB" therefore person may never know about it unless they become immunosuppressed, this is very common among healthcare professions and that is why we are checked every year. TB is endemic in some very large cities on the West Coast. Not that big of a deal. No reason to freak out.
Perpetuating social stigmas about communicable diseases is a big problem for health care professionals because ppl will hide things and not seek treatment. Educate yourselves and have empathy before trying to embarrass other people.
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