Suspected Tuberculosis Case Reported at a Fort Bragg Middle School

FAYETTEVILLE, NC –Cumberland County Department of Public Health officials are investigating a suspected tuberculosis case involving a Fort Bragg school employee.

The local health department was notified on July 29 of the suspected case and is required by law to investigate. The department follows the North Carolina TB Control Program protocols in managing investigations.Local public health officials have a list of 18 individuals from Fort Bragg who may have been exposed to the disease from January 1 to May 30 through close and prolonged contact with an Albritton Middle School employee suspected of having TB.

County health officials have already contacted those individuals explaining the need for anyone who may have been exposed to take a TB skin test. Only individuals contacted by the Health Department need TB skin testing, which is done by placing a small amount of testing solution under the skin of the arm.

These individuals may either go to their Primary Care Provider or the Health Department’s Epidemiology Clinic at 1235 Ramsey Street for the testing. They are asked to call their provider or the Health Department to arrange a testing time. It is standard procedure to skin test individuals who may have been exposed at the time a suspected TB case is discovered and before it is confirmed, which can take six to eight weeks.

“Through our patient contact investigation, we are confident we have a good list of possible contacts. There is no need to skin test the entire school population,” said Health Director Buck Wilson.

Albritton parents, teachers and staff who have questions regarding TB testing should contact the Health Department at 910-433-3638 Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. TB usually affects the lungs and TB germs are transmitted when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks.

“TB generally develops over weeks to months and is completely curable if detected early and treated properly with medication,” Wilson said.

Symptoms include: productive cough lasting longer than three weeks, unexplained fever, profuse sweating at night, appetite loss,unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath, chest pain, and excessive fatigue.-end-2A positive skin test result does not mean that a person is sick with TB or that he or she will develop TB disease. If an individual has a positiveTB skin test, he or she will be referred to the Health Department’s Epidemiology Clinic for further follow-up. 

For additional information about the Cumberland County Department of Public Health, please call 910-433-3600 or visit wit