Oklahoma City-County Health Department officials announced Tuesday that they are investigating a case of active tuberculosis (TB) in a student within Western Heights Public School District.
Officials with OCCHD say the student attends a small program with the District and is not in the main student body of the school.
“The Western Heights School District administration and staff have taken all necessary precautions to protect their students and staff,” said Dr. Dale Claflin, TB Medical Director of OCCHD. “As the student is not in the main student body of the school, we’re confident only a few students are impacted. OCCHD will continue to provide updates to the District as our investigation continues,” he added.
Officials say a small number of students and staff have been notified they need to get tested, as the program the student attends is sectioned off from the rest of the school population.
Letters have been sent to school staff and parents of students who may have been exposed, OCCHD officials say.
To get tested, officials say it consists of a simple blood test with a follow up test at a later date.
General symptoms may include feeling weak or sick, weight loss, fever and night sweats, officials say. Persons with TB of the lung may have complaints of cough, chest pain and/or coughing up blood. Other symptoms depend on the particular part of the body that is affected.
For more information on tuberculosis, click here.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
