FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Health officials have reported a case of tuberculosis in a student at a South Florida school.
Florida Department of Health and Broward County officials identified an individual with active tuberculosis, also known as TB, at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale.
In a message addressed to students and parents, the principal of the school stated that the student diagnosed with TB was “recently on campus” and health officials immediately began to notify any students or staff that could have potentially been exposed.
“Like he kept coughing and like I was scared. And I looked on my phone and It was like ‘Oh somebody got sick’. I think the ambulance came and got him, said a student.
The highly contagious disease is an infectious bacterial infection that is primarily contracted when it is breathed through the lungs. According to the health department, it can then move on to affect the person’s brain, kidney or spine.
“Bacteria that causes TB is breathed into the air and many people with TB live and work in situations where they’re very close to other people,” said Infectious Disease Specialist Priya Sampathkumar, M.D. with Mayo Clinic.
7News spoke with students on campus to get their reaction to the news.
“Just nervous, you know, because a lot of people was getting that letter. It scared me and my friend right here. Like how did you even acquire that sickness? How did you get that?” said another student.
“It was unreal because no one has ever gotten a case ever since I was born. So it’s like is this going to be the next Covid,” said a student.
Some students said they weren’t informed about the seriousness of the disease until their classmates were notified via the letter and they began to do their own research.
“I just seen people receiving letters my dawg[friend] had got one so I am praying for him,” said a student.
“You have a friend that got the letter?” asked 7News’ Reporter Dannielle Garcia.
“Yea he was sitting right next to me,” replied the student. “I wasn’t too worried about it because I didn’t know but then I started seeing people posting around Instagram. I still didn’t believe it. I don’t really know what to think.”
Some remain skeptical, but said they’ll rather be on the safe side.
“I might take it serious because I thought they were trolling, but I searched it up and it’s serious,” said student D’Quan Missick.
“I don’t play about my safety. Gloves. Mask. You have to be precautious,” said a student.
Due to prevention and treatment, rates finally dropped for nearly three decades. So much so that the vaccine is not commonly given or tested for in the US. However, tuberculosis is the most prevalent outside of the US and considered the deadliest disease worldwide.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), TB cases began to rise in America in 2021. Last year, in Florida, there was a 9% increase in cases.
TB is a vaccine-preventable disease; however, there has been an uptake in rates of other vaccine-preventable diseases, with CDC reporting nearly 8,500 cases of whooping cough this year and there’s already close to 900 cases of the measles.
A measles outbreak in Texas led to the death of two unvaccinated children.
“Any child that dies from a vaccine-preventable disease is a tragedy,” said an health official.
Broward health officials said they will be on-site Wednesday to offer testing for impacted students with parental consent.
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