A warning has been issued to thousands of students following the outbreak of a deadly disease at a school. Officials were alerted to a pupil testing positive for tuberculosis, which is considered the world’s deadliest infectious disease, on Tuesday (March 24).
It is believed that thousands may have been exposed to the disease with health authorities now working with the school to limit transmission. Tuberculosis is a highly contagious airborne infection that attacks the lungs and other organs. Symptoms include a persistent cough, chest pain, coughing up blood or mucus, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. It is considered a Victorian disease as it reached epidemic levels in Britain during the 19th century.
As reported by the Daily Mail, a student at Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama, tested positive for the disease earlier this week. The Madison County Health Department is now working with the school to assess the extent of possible exposure.
The school has a student population of around 2,000 people. They have all been notified of the outbreak and offered voluntary tuberculosis tests on Thursday, April 2.
Dr Kym Middleton, a pediatrician at Huntsville Hospital, told local news station WAFF48 that the best way to prevent the disease is making sure people are “covering their face when they cough or covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze.”
She added: “Make sure you are washing your hands with soap and water pretty consistently, making sure if you are coughing or sneezing, make sure to always cover your mouth because it helps.”
Tuberculosis infects a few thousand people in the USA every year, killing around 500. However, around 1.2 million people around the globe die from the disease each 12 months.
As well as the initial symptoms, patients can experience severe breathing difficulties and extensive lung damage. The infection is capable of spreading to the brain and spine.
The NHS said: “Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection that usually affects the lungs. It can be treated with antibiotics but can be serious if not treated. There’s a vaccine that helps protect some people who are at risk from TB.”
