Riverside University Public Health System (RUHS) is encouraging testing for tuberculosis (TB) after a student at Raymond Cree Middle School in Palm Springs tested positive with an active case.
To expedite testing, Riverside County Health held a TB testing clinic on Tuesday, April 18, for students who may have been exposed through contact with the affected student, according to a press release from Public Health and the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD).
The middle school student who tested positive is back home for continued treatment after a brief hospital stay and is expected to recover.
Beyond the clinic, efforts are being made to contain the spread of the disease by identifying other students who may have been exposed.
“We are working in collaboration with RUHS-Public Health on notification and screening logistics to ensure that students and staff who may have been exposed receive the information and followup guidance in a timely manner," PSUSD Director of Health and Services Laura Dyson said in the press release. "We are grateful to have the resources of our county public health department and the officials there who remain the experts in infectious disease information and management.”
To get the word out about the tuberculous case, Public Health and the school district dispatched both electronic and mailed letters to approximately 50 parents with the message that their child may have been exposed to this contagious disease. The letters urged parents to pursue screening for their children at the April 18 clinic. These letters differ from the informational letters sent to all parents of middle school students, even those not at risk of exposure. The informational letters serve as a general update on the TB case, not an advisory to seek testing.
Since students are not the only ones who might be at risk of tuberculosis, approximately 20 staff members, who also may have been exposed, will likewise receive notification.
The natural question with any disease is how is it spread. TB is airborne, but it usually takes prolonged, repeated and close contact with a carrier to contract it, according to the press release. Look for symptoms to include a persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss, RUHS said. Many cases have happened where infected persons exhibit no symptoms at all, where an infected person would have the bacteria but not progress to active TB.
With or without symptoms, a skin test can determine whether bacteria is present, according to the press release.
Dr. Geoffrey Leung, public health officer for Riverside County, said that parents receiving the notification letter should make testing a priority, regardless of whether their student is at a low risk of infection.
"The testing is quick and can provide peace of mind for both parents and children,'' Leung said in the press release. “Once the test is administered, the child will need to come back in two days to have it read by a health care worker.”