What You Should Know About Tuberculosis Testing

Students and staff at will be getting tested for tuberculosis on Tuesday and Thursday of next week after .

But a positive test result doesn't necessarily mean you have the disease, according to Dr. Scott Mahan, director of the Cuyahoga County Tuberculosis Program.

"That will be pretty common," he said, noting that about 30 of every 1,000 people tested show a positive test result. "That doesn't mean they have active TB, just that they've been exposed to it."

Latent tuberculosis bacteria can show up as a positive test result, but there is only about a 10 percent risk of that turning into an active infection, Mahan said.

The most common symptoms of tuberculosis are similar to those of the common cold: fever, coughing, night sweats and significant weight loss. 

"You only should be worried if you're getting treatment and your symptoms aren't getting better," Mahan said.

County health officials say that the risk of the single case spreading is very low due to the way tuberculosis, a respiratory infection, is spread.

"People are at a really low risk for this," said Christina Karas, spokesperson for MetroHealth. "TB used to be a major cause of death, and people get nervous when they hear about it because it's so uncommon now."

Only about 30 to 50 people contract TB each year in Cuyahoga County, according to Mahan.

"Say I have an active TB infection and breathe or cough or sneeze, and then you breathe that in," Karas said. "That's how it's passed. The people at risk have to be that close to each other."

Once the bacteria is out in the air, it stands little chance of surviving since sunlight and the air both kill TB. Mahan gave the example that one would have to be on a 10-hour-long international flight in close quarters to contract TB.

TB skin tests will be offered to Westlake High School students and staff from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 10, in the lobby by nurses from the Cuyahoga County TB Program. The tests will be read 48 hours after testing, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 12, also in the Performing Arts Center lobby.

Parents who want their high school student tested must fill out a permission form, which will be available soon. Forms will also be available in the high school's main office. Students will not be tested without the completed form.

Any high school student or staff member who misses this testing window and who wishes to be tested may visit MetroHealth TB Clinic for a free test. Tests are also available through primary care physicians.

Anyone with a negative test result will be asked to repeat the test after three months as a precaution. The dates for those tests will be announced later.

For more information, or to schedule a TB testing, call the Cuyahoga County Tuberculosis Program at 440-778-8083 or visit their website.