Northeast High student treated for tuberculosis
A Northeast High School student has been diagnosed with tuberculosis, officials confirmed yesterday.
A Northeast High School student has been diagnosed with tuberculosis, officials confirmed yesterday.
The Health Department notified the school on Tuesday, and on Thursday letters were sent home to parents advising them of the finding. An informational session was held at the school last night, and another is scheduled for 7 to 9 a.m. Monday, Fernando Gallard, a spokesman for the city school district, said last night.
The student, whose name was not released, is being treated for the illness, but no details about his condition were available yesterday, Gallard said. Tuberculosis, a bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs and can be fatal, is very contagious. It can spread through the air when a person coughs, sneezes or speaks, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not everyone who is infected becomes ill, however.
The school, which has about 3,600 students, informed 90 students and staff that they must be tested for the disease by the Health Department. - Joelle Farrell
