Some Returning Grant Students Will Be Tested For Tuberculosis

The Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services will offer tuberculosis tests to at least 300 returning Grant Union High School students and staff next Friday, August 22nd.

The test will be provided for students who have been identified as at-risk and anyone else at the school who wants to be tested.  Confidential test results will be provided at the school the following Monday.

County Health Officer, Dr. Olivia Kasirye explains why testing wasn't done today when students returned to school.

"First day of school, there is a lot that is going on and we wanted to make sure that we gave an opportunity to anyone who wanted to get tested to get tested. So, in discussions with the school, we came to the date of the 22nd as more appropriate."

Kasirye says the original testing was focused on students who spent a lot of time with the contagious student in class or during extra-curricular activities.

"The disease is spread through the air, but you have to be in close proximity to the person with active disease and usually the person has to be in contact with that person for several hours."  

The outbreak was in the news and the subject of school phone calls to parents, but for several students information never reached their homes.

Olga Voronyy is a sophomore.  

"I didn't hear anything about it," says Voronny. "They should have told us I guess because it's scary. I don't want to get it."

Of the students who tested positive for TB in the spring, one was identified as the source of the infections. Four students had active tuberculosis but were not contagious, and 120 were diagnosed with latent TB and were also not contagious.