TB case prompts testing at Elyria High

ELYRIA — An individual associated with Elyria High School has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis and TB testing will be offered today as a precaution, according to the school’s website.

The person is under care at the Mercy TB Clinic and expected to make a full recovery, LeeAnn Hastings, manager of communications at Mercy Regional Medical Center said in a statement. She classified TB as a “rare but serious disease which usually affects the lungs.” There is a low risk of contraction but it is still a possibility

since it is contagious.

This is the third relatively recent case of tuberculosis in an area school.

In January, a member of the Westlake High School community was diagnosed with TB during winter break. In April, a Lorain High School student was diagnosed with TB. Students were tested and no new cases were found.

“TB is a contagious disease that can sometimes be spread to others, especially to people that the patient spends time with every day. The risk is low. There is a small chance that some staff and students at Elyria High School may be at risk for developing TB disease. As a precaution, we recommend that all Elyria High School students and staff be screened for TB,” said Paul Murry, board-certified infectious disease physician and medical director of the Mercy TB Clinic. The test is not mandatory and students and staff can refuse testing.

Nurses from the Mercy TB Clinic will be at the high school to administer skin tests. The testing will take place from 8:30a.m. to noon. Students will have received information about the free screenings today, including a consent form, Mercy TB Clinic information and patients rights and regulations information.

Students are asked to come to school today with a signed permission slip. Faculty and students will be brought down during set class periods to be tested. Health officials will be on site Friday to release the results. They will return in another 10 weeks for more testing. The test is a simple procedure.

“The skin test is safe, painless, and very effective in identifying individuals who may be at an increased risk for TB,” Hastings said.

TB is a disease caused by germs that spread from person to person through the air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This bacteria attacks the lungs, but TB can attack any part of the body such as kidney, spine and brain. If TB is not treated properly it can be fatal.

Bacteria that causes TB can be put into the air through close, prolonged contact with another person who coughs or sneezes, according to CDC. It is not transmitted through casual contact or contact with a surface, Hastings said. Not everyone with TB becomes sick. Some symptoms of TB include a bad cough for three weeks, pain in the chest, weakness, weight loss, no appetite, chills, fever and night sweats, according to the CDC. Almost all cases of TB are curable with medicine, Hastings said.

For additional information, call the Mercy TB Clinic at 244-3017.