Health department investigating possible TB case

PROGRESO — The Hidalgo County Health Department is investigating a possible case of tuberculosis at Progreso High School.

On Tuesday, officials with the health department tested students and staff at the school as a precaution after the department learned a student there might have the disease. That student has been receiving treatment in case test results come up positive, said Eduardo Olivarez, the county health department's chief administrative officer.

It usually takes six to eight weeks to get the test results back, he said.

Officials said up to 123 people at the school have come into contact with the affected student, including 97 other students and 26 staff members. About 520 students are enrolled at the school.

Tuberculosis is an airborne bacterium that usually attacks the lungs and is spread through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms may include fatigue, chills, night sweats, weight loss and bad coughing, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The chances of contracting the disease through casual contact are extremely low, Olivarez said. But the health department is performing skin tests on students and staff just in case.

"We've got to do what's in the best interest of the community," Olivarez said.

If a person tests positive for TB, it does not necessarily mean he or she has the illness, he said. Anyone who received a tuberculosis vaccine - which is given in some countries outside the United States, including Mexico - may test positive for the disease.

Olivarez said the health department has investigated several other suspected TB cases at other school districts throughout the county in the past but has never found direct evidence of transmission among students and staff.

The Progreso school district sent out letters to parents after learning of the possible TB case. District officials also had an informational meeting for parents Monday, said Linda Silva, a district spokeswoman.

The meeting explained to those in attendance what tuberculosis is and what its symptoms and treatments are, Silva said.

Parents have been cooperative throughout the process, she said. Students and staff asked to undergo the test were also told they could have the test done by their doctors instead if they preferred.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," Silva said.

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Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.