(Wicomico County) The Wicomico County Health Department (WiCHD) and Salisbury University (SU) are collaborating on preventive health measures following diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in a third student at the University.
The student is currently under medical care and is no longer attending classes, according to Lori Brewster, Wicomico County Health Officer. “It is important for students and parents to understand that being tested through tuberculin skin tests and treatment if the test is positive is the best way to avoid transmission of TB,” she said.
The WiCHD is reaching out to those who may have had closer contact, including classmates, and offering tuberculin skin testing on campus at no cost. (Please note that a positive skin test result DOES NOT mean a person has active tuberculosis. It simply means that at some time in the past, he or she may have been exposed to the tuberculosis germ.)
According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), there were 195 cases of TB in Maryland in 2014 and 178 cases in 2013. According to Mrs. Brewster, “A healthy person cannot be infected from casual exposure such as walking through the halls or eating in the same room as the affected person.”
Maryland TB Control officials are assisting the WiCHD in carefully monitoring the situation to ensure all necessary steps are taken to protect the health of students, faculty and staff. If anyone in the University community, as a precautionary measure, wishes to be tested, they should contact SU’s Student Health Services at 410-543-6262. For more information call the WiCHD at (410)543-6943.
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I'm sure it's a coincidence that this part of Salisbury is absolutely crawling with immigrants.
ReplyDeleteTB has been virtually absent from the US for decades.
Heard they are up to six cases now.
ReplyDeleteIt's the drug-resistant type of TB that is the most worrisome. Haven't heard yet whether this is the strain or not.
ReplyDeleteFunny, wasn't it a week or two ago that they said don't worry about the TB case at SU?
ReplyDelete3:53
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. On October 16th of 2014 they had a press release and again on March 26th. The press release were almost exactly the same. Here is a quote that appeared in BOTH press releases
"The student is currently under medical care and is no longer attending classes. “There is no risk of additional exposure to SU students, faculty or staff,” according to Lori Brewster, Wicomico County Health Officer, “and the risk of infection from previous exposure to the student affected is small.”