Community Corner
TB Testing Begin At George Bush High School
Officials learned on May 30 that 647 students and 27 staff members were exposed to the disease
RICHMOND, TX — Officials in Fort Bend County are expected to begin a second round of tuberculosis tests Thursday morning for staff and students at George Bush High School exposed to the disease at the end of the 2016-2017 school year.
The second round of TB testing is scheduled for 647 students and 27 staff members, officials said.
In the first round of testing, officials identified 11 people who tested positive for TB.
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A positive test means that person has been infected, but does not mean they will develop the disease later on, KTRK reported.
Those who already tested positive were sent a second letter informing them that they didn’t need to report for the second round of testing, and provided preventive medication and a medical evaluation to limit their risk of developing an active case, KPRC reported.
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RELATED: Active TB Case Found At Fort Bend ISD's Bush High School
Students and staff members were notified in June that they’d been exposed to the disease and were notified by mail of the first round of testing this summer.
Officials learned on May 30 that students and staff had been exposed, but didn’t say whether the carrier of the disease was a student, or staff member.
In February, officials at Sugar Land’s Clements High School, and at El Campo High School in El Campo, learned of active cases of TB on their campuses.
Some of symptoms of TB include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Lethargy
- Night Sweats
- Coughing
- Chest Pain
- Loss of Appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
Testing for TB is conducted through either a blood test or skin test, and is a painless procedure.
Classes are seto to resume on Aug. 22 in Fort Bend ISD
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