News

Thermal school staff member may have exposed 160 students to Tuberculosis

Published August 27, 2018 8:22 PM

A Westside Elementary School staff member may have exposed up to 160 students to tuberculosis, according to a Riverside University Health System news release.

The unnamed Thermal elementary school staff member was diagnosed with an active case of the disease and Riverside County health officials are working in conjunction with school representatives to determine which students and/or staff may have been exposed to the illness.

But the timeline isn’t particularly fresh when it came to the possible exposure; the staff member reportedly was infected in spring of last year.

“Parents who receive the letter from Public Health are being advised to have their child tested at a TB clinic planned at the school at a later date,” reads the release. “Those who do not receive notification are considered not to be at risk for exposure, and TB testing is not recommended.”

The county notified the school about the infection on August 10th, and it took school 17 days to notify families who may have been affected,

The 17 day lag time has parents and guardians of the student wishing that the response was quicker.

“For them to be more careful, and to, if something is going on, to let everybody know and not let so many days pass [would have been preferable],” said Eileen Marquez, and aunt of a student.

The disease’ risk of transmission is low, according to Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser.

“While the risk of infection is low, it’s important that parents who receive the notification letter get their child tested,” Kaiser said. “The testing is quick and can provide peace of mind for both parents and children.”

The disease is not spread by “shaking hands, sharing food or drink, or via bed linens or toilet seats,” per the release. A person with inactive Tuberculosis cannot spread the disease, and not everyone infected the disease bacteria becomes ill.

“Tuberculosis is a disease spread through the air during prolonged, repeated and close contact with an individual who is infected with active tuberculosis,” according to the RUHS news release. “People can contract TB when breathing air exhaled by someone who is sick with the illness. “