[Students] FW: Student Health Services Health Alert
Cathy Haynsworth
Cathy_Haynsworth at tamu-commerce.edu
Mon Apr 11 16:59:14 CDT 2011
From: mailman-bounces at tamu-commerce.edu
[mailto:mailman-bounces at tamu-commerce.edu] On Behalf Of Kelly Daily
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2011 4:35 PM
To: students-owner at listserver.tamu-commerce.edu
Subject: Student Health Services Health Alert
MEMORANDUM
TO: Texas A&M University-Commerce Community
FROM: Student Health Services/Texas A&M University Commerce
DATE: 4/11/2011
SUBJECT: IMPORTANT HEALTH ALERT
A member of the Texas A&M Commerce community has been diagnosed with
tuberculosis and is currently undergoing treatment. The individual is no
longer on campus and does not pose a continuing threat to the Texas A&M
commerce community.
However, tuberculosis, or TB, is a potentially severe and contagious
disease considered to be a public health threat even though individuals
rarely develop the disease from limited exposure to the bacteria.
Therefore, Texas A&M Commerce is working closely with the TX Department
of State Health Services to investigate and monitor this incidence of
TB.
The risk of exposure and infection to the general campus population is
extremely low, though everyone needs to be aware of this incidence.
Individuals who are likely to be more at risk because they could have
been in contact with the infected individual for a prolonged time or in
a confined space are being informed by the Dean of Student Services
office about their higher potential risk. They will need to visit the
Health Center on the Commerce campus Tuesday, April 19 for a free
screening. No appointment is necessary.
Students taking the following classes are to participate in the
screening:
IS-351 - Monday/Wednesday 11:00-12:15 pm
IS-352 - Monday/Wednesday 2:00-3:3:15 pm
Reading 360 - Wednesday 4:30-7:30 pm
Reading 370 - Thursday 4:30-7:00 pm
Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing
bacterium that thrives in areas of the body that are rich in blood and
oxygen, such as the lungs. TB in the lungs is spread to other people
through the air when an infected individual coughs, laughs, speaks,
sings or sneezes. The bacteria may remain airborne for several hours in
some cases. For infection to occur, the bacteria must be inhaled and
must reach the alveoli of the lung.
Tuberculosis is either latent (dormant) or active. Latent TB occurs when
a person has the TB-causing bacteria in his/her body, but cannot spread
the disease to others. However, a person with latent TB can still
develop active TB. Active TB occurs when the infection is spreading in
the body; if the lungs are infected, the disease can be spread to
others.
An individual with latent TB will have no symptoms unless the disease
becomes active.
Symptoms of active TB may include:
* ongoing cough that brings up thick, cloudy, and sometimes bloody
mucus from the lungs (sputum);
* fatigue and weight loss;
* night sweats and fever;
* rapid heartbeat;
* swelling in the neck (when lymph nodes in the neck are
infected); or
* shortness of breath and chest pain (in rare cases).
When a person first develops active TB, the symptoms of the disease may
be so mild the person may be unaware he/she has been infected. This also
is true for people with latent TB because they have no symptoms.
Latent TB is usually found through a tuberculin skin test (also called a
TB skin test, PPD test or Mantoux test) or a blood test. Active TB is
diagnosed by finding the TB-causing bacteria in fluid from the lungs
(sputum) or in samples from other parts of the body. Doctors sometimes
use a chest x-ray to help diagnose active TB. A person infected with TB
may not test positive for two to ten weeks after infection. A positive
skin test does not mean active TB is present.
If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, please see your
personal doctor or a physician at the Health Center. If you have any
questions, please call Student Health Services at 903-886-5853 or
contact the Hunt County Health Department at (903) 455-4433. You also
may visit www.cdc.gov/tb/faqs to learn more.
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