Tuberculosis test results determined at Indio HS

About 100 Indio High School students who were potentially exposed to tuberculosis heard their results on Thursday after undergoing testing earlier this week.

The teens were checked on Tuesday after a student was recently diagnosed with active tuberculosis, prompting Riverside County health officials to send letters to students and staff who might have been exposed.

According to Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the test results determined the students were within the normal levels health officials expect to find in the general public, and at this time, testing won’t be expanded to other students or staff.

Dr. Kaiser said a positive test result means the person had been exposed to TB at some time in the past, but doesn’t necessarily mean the person has an active case of the disease. Kaiser said the number of “positive” readings were within expected levels.

Those who received the letter had the option of being tested by their own health care provider.

The student who was diagnosed with active tuberculosis is receiving treatment and is expected to recover. The student won’t be returning to school until a medical clearance is issued, the health department said in a news release.

No testing is needed for those who did not receive the notification letter because they were not
considered to be at risk for exposure. For those who were tested, if the skin test reads positive, the individual will get a chest x-ray and follow up with an appropriate health provider, according to the Riverside County Health Department.

Health officials said tuberculosis is a disease spread through the air during prolonged, repeated and close contact with an individual who is infected with active tuberculosis. People may contact TB when breathing air exhaled by someone who is sick with TB.

If left untreated, TB can result in complications that can be serious. Health officials said it’s not spread by shaking hands, sharing food or drinks, or via bed linens or toilet seats. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. And a person with inactive tuberculosis can’t spread it to others.

November 2 – Indio HS student tests positive for active tuberculosis

A student at Indio High School has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis Tuesday morning.

The student is receiving treatment and is expected to recover, although the individual will not return to school until a medical clearance is issued.

Riverside County health officials are working with school representatives to identify students and staff who might have been exposed to the illness. The student who tested positive is not being identified due to confidentiality requirements.

Riverside County health officials sent out about 165 letters to students and the parents of students under 18 who may have been exposed to this illness. Staff members who may have been exposed also received a notification from the school.

As a precaution, the health department is recommending that anyone who receives the notice be screened with a TB skin test at a clinic being planned later this month at Indio High School. Anyone that received the notification letter has the option to be tested by their own health care provider.

If the skin test reads positive, the individual will get a chest x-ray and follow up with an appropriate provider. The x-ray will help determine whether an individual might simply have been exposed to the illness rather than having active TB.

Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser emphasized the risk of transmission is low.

“While the risk of infection is slight, it is important that those who are notified take the time to get tested,” Kaiser said. “The testing is simple and does not take much time, although it can provide peace of mind.”

Tuberculosis is a disease spread through the air during prolonged, repeated and close contact with an individual who is infected with active tuberculosis. People may contract TB when breathing air exhaled by someone who is sick with TB. When left untreated, TB can result in complications that can be serious.

This is the second time that Indio High School has had a tuberculosis case at their school. In 2013 all students were tested for the disease. Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County Public Health Officer, says the precautionary measures that were taken in the 2013 tuberculosis case were very uncommon. Kaiser continued on to say that the risk of infection in this case, is slight, but it is important that those who were notified personally, to get tested.