SOUTHEAST STUDENTS EXPOSED TO TB

Southeast Missouri State University has notified 97 people who may have had contact with a student who had an active case of tuberculosis earlier in the fall semester.

The university's Center for Health and Counseling sent out letters late last month encouraging the 97 people to come to the center and be tested for tuberculosis.

"They sent out 97 letters. Ninety-two of those went to students," university spokesperson Ann Hayes said Thursday.

She said 60 of the students have been tested at the center. "Of those 60, only seven of them have tested positive," said Hayes.

"None of those seven are active cases and none of the students are symptomatic, which means none of them are showing symptoms of TB," she said.

The seven students, however, have been put on preventative medication by their individual doctors.

"Under normal conditions, a person who tests positive for TB can be completely cured with medication in nine to 12 months," said Hayes.

Health center officials will decide in January whether to send out a second round of letters to those persons who have not come in for testing.

"Anyone else who is concerned, outside of those 97 may come into the Center for Health and Counseling to be tested," Hayes said.

The TB-infected student lived alone off-campus. He had an active case of tuberculosis from the start of the semester on Aug. 23 to Sept. 20, Hayes said.

The student apparently came to school with an active case of the communicable disease. "Apparently this student had some symptoms but did not know what was wrong," she said.

"The student was diagnosed by a private physician and after that the Center for Health and Counseling sent out 97 letters, which was right around Thanksgiving break," said Hayes.

The student was out of school for about three weeks. He was put on medication, which made him no longer contagious. He returned to school in mid-October, Hayes said.

Active tuberculosis cases are rare in this area. According to the health center, there are 32 active cases in a 25-county area of Southeast Missouri.