Students At Delware School May Have Been Exposed To Tuberculosis

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR THE HOWARD T. ENNIS SCHOOL COMMUNITY:

June 6, 2017

Dear Howard T. Ennis Community Member:

The Delaware Division of Public Health and Indian River School District wanted to let you know that some individuals may have been exposed to active Tuberculosis as part of being transported to and from the Howard T. Ennis School. If you have not received a phone call or letter from the Division of Public Health, you or your child has not been exposed and so there is no need for you to take further action.

We recognize this information can cause concern and are reaching out to the entire Howard T. Ennis community in order to provide the most medically accurate and up-to-date information. We also want to be clear that the risk of transmission is low and that we are only recommending testing for certain individuals as a precaution.

We want you to know that while testing and treatment are very important, TB is preventable, and is curable with medicine. TB is transmitted by breathing in germs (bacteria) that are coughed or sneezed into the air by someone sick with TB disease. TB is not spread by touching objects or sharing eating utensils like forks, knives, or plates. TB is spread when someone spends a lot of time every day close to someone who is sick with TB disease. Usually, this is a family or household member.

There are two forms of TB. One is “latent TB,” where the germ is “asleep” in the body; the person is not sick and cannot spread the germs to others. Medication is provided to kill the “sleeping” germ so the person does not become sick in the future. The second form is “active TB disease,” in which the TB germ has made the person sick. Left untreated, this can result in serious illness or be life-threatening. Medication is available to kill the germs in the active form of TB, too, and cure the patient.

Below are TB fact sheets for further background. If you have any concerns about it or any other disease, we encourage you to contact your health care provider.

We also want to say again, if you are getting this letter, you or your child was not exposed to the disease.

Thank you.

Karyl Rattay, MD
Division of Public Health Director
Department of Health and Social Services

Mark Steele
Superintendent
Indian River School District