Case of TB confirmed on campus
Caitlin Dean
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: News
An e-mail sent to about 235 students, faculty and staff advised recipients to visit the Student Health Center yesterday to undergo tuberculosis skin testing.
This e-mail came after the Adair County Health Department notified the University Monday of a confirmed case of active TB disease in a Truman student. The student remains hospitalized and isolated outside the Kirksville community, and no risk exists on campus at this point, said Kelly Freeland, family nurse practitioner at the Student Health Center.
A phone call from within the Truman community alerted the University to the TB case, Freeland said. Shortly after that report, a phone call from the Adair County Health Department confirmed the case. The student already had been hospitalized and isolated by that point, she said.
"We can report that those very close associates have been tested, and today, none have tested positive for TB," Freeland said.
The University has mandated that those who received the e-mail requesting skin testing undergo the procedure, Freeland said. The health center offered the test for free and asked those tested to return Friday to have their results read, she said. Additionally, those tested are asked to have another skin test after June 23 before their return to Truman in August, Freeland said.
"I do want to point out that at any given time, if you tested any 200 people at random, this meaning without a known exposure, 12 might come back positive," Freeland said.
She said the ACHD recommended close contacts undergo testing first, such as roommates and suitemates.
"[Then] we go the next level down, just to make sure we're not missing anyone, which would be day-to-day contacts, such as classroom contacts," she said.
Lou Ann Gilchrist, dean of student affairs, said the University had discussed TB testing prior to this case.
"About the same time that we learned that this person was being tested for TB, we were talking about a policy that will actually identify those people who are at higher risk, and they will be tested before the beginning of the fall semester, beginning this year," Gilchrist said.
This e-mail came after the Adair County Health Department notified the University Monday of a confirmed case of active TB disease in a Truman student. The student remains hospitalized and isolated outside the Kirksville community, and no risk exists on campus at this point, said Kelly Freeland, family nurse practitioner at the Student Health Center.
A phone call from within the Truman community alerted the University to the TB case, Freeland said. Shortly after that report, a phone call from the Adair County Health Department confirmed the case. The student already had been hospitalized and isolated by that point, she said.
"We can report that those very close associates have been tested, and today, none have tested positive for TB," Freeland said.
The University has mandated that those who received the e-mail requesting skin testing undergo the procedure, Freeland said. The health center offered the test for free and asked those tested to return Friday to have their results read, she said. Additionally, those tested are asked to have another skin test after June 23 before their return to Truman in August, Freeland said.
"I do want to point out that at any given time, if you tested any 200 people at random, this meaning without a known exposure, 12 might come back positive," Freeland said.
She said the ACHD recommended close contacts undergo testing first, such as roommates and suitemates.
"[Then] we go the next level down, just to make sure we're not missing anyone, which would be day-to-day contacts, such as classroom contacts," she said.
Lou Ann Gilchrist, dean of student affairs, said the University had discussed TB testing prior to this case.
"About the same time that we learned that this person was being tested for TB, we were talking about a policy that will actually identify those people who are at higher risk, and they will be tested before the beginning of the fall semester, beginning this year," Gilchrist said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
buy cheap tramadol
posted 9/04/08 @ 11:35 AM CST
Thanks to author! I like articles like this, very interesting.
Post a Comment