UPDATE2: The tuberculosis diagnosis on campus has been confirmed, said Whatcom County Health Department officer Greg Stern.

"We are continuing with treatment, isolation until not contagious and the contact investigation as previously described," Stern said.

Stern said the presence of tuberculosis on campus is not an immediate threat to the health of other students.

“There is no reason to panic. Tuberculosis is less contagious than many other bacteria and viruses, such as measles, chickenpox and influenza,” Stern said on Monday. “It usually takes prolonged exposure to high levels of tuberculosis bacteria in the air to cause infection.”

For more information about tuberculosis, please see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site .

 

UPDATE: The tuberculosis diagnosis has still not been confirmed, said Stern.

Stern said results from an acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear have come back positive, but this is not a confirmation for tuberculosis because other mycobacteria can show up on the smear.

Stern said they are still waiting for the results of the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Direct (MTD) test from the state public health lab. If this test is positive, then that is confirmation for tuberculosis.

“We suspect TB and are acting accordingly.  We are gathering information on who might have had close and prolonged contact and will probably have confirmation by the time we identify those who need further evaluation as a contact,” Stern said.

Confirmation is expected midweek, Stern said.

 

 

The possible case of tuberculosis at Western has been confirmed, Dr. Emily Gibson said, director of the Student Health Department.

“People who are not identified as close contacts are not at significant risk for infection.  We are working closely with the university to determine who had close contact and prolonged exposure and will evaluate them for infection,” Whatcom County Health Department officer Greg Stern said.

Stern said the student will remain in isolation until it is determined that they are not contagious, which can take two weeks or more, depending upon the strength of the student’s immune system and how responsive the student’s body is to the medication. Overall treatment can take six months or more.

“There is no reason to panic. Tuberculosis is less contagious than many other bacteria and viruses, such as measles, chickenpox and influenza,” Stern said. “It usually takes prolonged exposure to high levels of tuberculosis bacteria in the air to cause infection.”

Gibson said those students who have been in close contact have already had skin tests done; two students were tested on Friday, and the third student was tested Monday. The results from the tests will most likely be back Wednesday, Feb. 10.  The Whatcom County Health Department will then decide whether to extend testing to other students.

Gibson said even if the three additional students test positive for tuberculosis, they would not be contagious due to the slow growth of the infection.

They will have what is called latent TB infection, in which the bacteria lives within the body but the immune system prevents the bacteria from spreading and making them sick, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gibson said the students would then have a chest X-ray and be encouraged to take medication to prevent the bacteria from becoming active.

“Without medication the rate of infection can increase 10 percent,” Gibson said. “The medication drops the risk of developing active tuberculosis significantly.”

For more information about tuberculosis please see the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) web site.

 

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