|
WKU, Barren River Health Dept. Offering Testing, Counseling In Wake Of Possible Tuberculosis Exposure
Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University Health Services and the Barren River District Health Department are offering testing and counseling to about 375 students and faculty who may have been exposed to tuberculosis.
A WKU student diagnosed with an active case of TB is being treated at home. The name of the student, who lived off campus, is not being released at the student’s request. A team from WKU Health Services and the district health department began visiting the student’s classes today to provide information and to outline testing procedures. Letters and emails are also being sent to the students and faculty in those classes. Three days have been set aside for testing at the Health Service in the Academic Complex: Nov. 7, 8 and 9. WKU is providing the testing for free for those in the affected classes. Those tests must be read in 48-72 hours and follow-up testing will take place in three months. TB is a bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs, but can affect any part of the body. It can be cured with antibiotics. Symptoms include feeling tired or sick, weight loss, fever or night sweats. When the lungs are affected, it can cause coughing, chest pain and possibly coughing up blood. It is spread from person to person through the air from coughs or sneezes. "While a person with an active case of tuberculosis can spread the bacteria, this requires being close to the infected person, and usually involves repeated exposures,” said Allen Redden, MD, WKU Health Services Medical Director. “We want to be sure that those who are at the greatest risk of exposure are informed about the disease and are tested. TB is very treatable once diagnosed.” More information on TB is available from the Barren River District Health Department at www.barrenriverhealth.org or by calling the Barren River District Health Department at (270) 781-8039 or WKU Health Services at (270) 745-5641. More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu. http://www.wku.edu/healthservices/ Contact Libby Greaney, Director, WKU Health Services, (270) 745-3830, or Nancy Quarcelino, Health Information Branch Director, Barren River District Health Department, (270) 781-8039, Ext. 120.
|