A number of students in two Rockland County schools were reportedly exposed to a person suffering from tuberculosis. Health officials in the local area have already warned parents about the situation. However, they noted that the risk of spreading the illness is currently under control.
Washington Times said that health authorities have already identified the exposed students at Nyack Middle and Liberty Elementary Schools. The students were also given information on how they can be tested for the disease. The public has also been assured that there is no more risk of the disease to spread.
According to CBS New York, "less than fifty" students were exposed to the person with TB, who has already been admittied in the hospital. "There has been no exposure on school grounds in any buildings whatsoever, so there's really no concern for other students, staff members of visitors to our schools," explained Nyack School superintendent Dr. Jams Montesano. "It seems to be a contained event."
Rockland County Students Exposed To Person With Tuberculosis https://t.co/BWOxcjDG4B
— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) March 24, 2016
The same report noted that the exposure could have happened inside a school bus, but the county has yet to confirm this information. What they affirmed was that the person with TB became ill two weeks ago and was later on diagnosed with the disease.
"TB is one of the major killers in the world today. Most of the cases we see here in America are cases that are brought in where someone has traveled abroad," Rockland Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Ruppert told CBS New York. "That's being evaluated at this time and it may be the case."
Parents in the area have been warned of the common symptoms of TB which include fatigue, fever, coughing, weight loss and sleeping problems. Many of them were shock with the return of the bacteria which has not been a problem in the United States for the past years.
Resident Darrell Caniero said the community did not expect that something like this would happen. "I was caught off guard by it, but I wouldn't say I was alarmed," he added.
