The Patchogue-Medford School District said in a letter that the Suffolk County Department of Health alerted them about an infectious person in the school community.
A Long Island school district is warning parents their kids may have been exposed to tuberculosis after learning that 'an individual in the school community' was being treated for the highly contagious and possibly fatal disease.
The Patchogue-Medford School District said in a letter to some parents in January that the Suffolk County Department of Health first alerted them about the infectious person. 'We are contacting you because we have reason to believe that your child had close and prolonged contact with this individual during the time he was infectious,' Interim Superintendent Lori Cannetti wrote. Students tested for tuberculosis Suffolk's health department recommended all parents receiving the letter have their kids undergo a Mantoux PPD skin test or Quantiferon blood test for the bacteria that causes tuberculosis . Students were offered free skin tests at Patchogue-Medford High School and will be offered another round in March, after a two-month incubation period, the interim superintendent said. Parents having their kids tested outside school were asked to provide documentation, including test results, to the health department.About tuberculosisTuberculosis can be deadly if not treated properly. It is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis and usually affects the lungs, but it can may also impact the brain, kidneys and spine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.It spreads through germs in the air. 'Not everyone infected with TB germs becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: inactive TB and active TB disease,' the CDC website says. TB symptoms commonly include coughing, chest pain and coughing up blood, according to the CDC.
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