GOOD EVENING.
SOME PARENTS RECEIVED LETTERS
IN THE MAIL SAYING THEIR
TEENAGERS MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED
TO AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
A PERSON AT THE SCHOOL WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH AN ACTIVE CASE
OF TUBERCULOSIS.
TO SPEAK WITH A DOCTOR AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
THIS IS UNUSUAL.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN
ABLE TO NARROW DOWN THE LIST OF
STUDENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS WHO
MAY HAVE HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH
THE CONTAGIOUS INDIVIDUAL.
WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A STUDENT
OR TEACHER.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS IT WAS
CONTACTED BY THE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT IN LATE NOVEMBER
WHEN THE PERSON WAS DIAGNOSED.
IT TAKES AT LEAST TWO MONTHS
AFTER EXPOSURE FOR ANY TESTING
TO BE EFFECTIVE.
ST. LOUIS PARK HIGH SCHOOL HAS
ABOUT 1400 STUDENTS.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS DURING
THE MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER,
OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER SOMEONE
WHO HAD TUBERCULOSIS BUT DIDN'T
KNOW IT WAS INSIDE THE BUILDING
WHILE CONTAGIOUS.
INITIALLY YOU PROBABLY
WOULDN'T HAVE SYMPTOMS AND THEN
OVER TIME YOU -- ESPECIALLY IF
IT'S NOT LUNGS WHICH IS MOST
COMMON YOU DEVELOP THINGS LIKE
A COUGH, FEVER, NIGHT SWEATS.
TUBERCULOSIS IS SPREAD
PRIMARILY THROUGH AIRBORNE
DROPLETS FROM COUGHING.
IT SPREADS OUT THROUGH THE
AIR AND IF YOU COME INTO
CONTACT WITH IT YOU POTENTIALLY
COULD GET INFECTED WITH TB.
DAVE JOHNSON IS A PUBLIC
HEALTH MANAGER FOR THE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT.
THE TESTING WILL TAKE PLACE AT
ST. LOUIS PARK HIGH SCHOOL TO
MAKE IT AS CONVENIENT AS
POSSIBLE.
IT TAKES PLACE ON JANUARY 30th
AND THE 31st AND IS VOLUNTARY.
JOHNSON EXPLAINED THE WAIT.
THE TEST FOR TUBERCULOSIS
DOESN'T WORK UNTIL AT LEAST
EIGHT WEEKS HAVE PASSED BETWEEN
EXPOSURE.
THE TREATMENT FOR
TUBERCULOSIS IS TYPICALLY
ANTIBIOTICS.
TB IS COMMON WORLDWIDE, HERE IN
THE U.S. IT'S RARE.
I THINK WE HAVE WORKED VERY
HARD WITH THE SCHOOL TO
IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AT
HIGHEST RISK WHO HAVE HAD THE
MOST EXPOSURE.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THOSE PEOPLE
GET THE BEST FOLLOW UP
NECESSARY.
THE LETTERS THAT WENT OUT TO
PARENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS ARE
NOT ALL THE SAME.
SOME SAY TESTING IT RECOMMENDED
BECAUSE THE PERSON HAD CLOSE
CONTACT WITH THE CONTAGIOUS
INDIVIDUAL.
OTHERS SAY TESTING IS NOT
RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THE
INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE
WAS LIMITED OR NO CONTACT WITH
THE PERSON WHO HAD TB.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TOLD ME
THEY BELIEVE ABOUT 166 PEOPLE
NEED TO BE TESTED AND THAT
INCLUDES BOTH STUDENTS AND
STAFF MEMBERS.
SO RARE TO EVEN TALK ABOUT.
HOW DO YOU TEST FOR IT?
THE FIRST TEST IS A SKIN
TEST.
THE RESULTS WON'T BE AVAILABLE
IMMEDIATELY.
THEY WON'T KNOW THAT DAY.
YOU HAVE TO WAIT A FEW DAYS AND
THEY LOOK AT THOSE TEST
RESULTS.
DOCTORS WILL DETERMINE IF
TREATMENT WITH ANTIBIOTICS OR
