COLDWATER, Mich. — A high school tuberculosis (TB) infection was confirmed Friday.
In a letter to Coldwater High School (CHS) parents and staff, Coldwater Community Schools (CCS) and Branch-Hillsdale-St Joseph Community Health Agency (BHSJCHA ) officials confirmed a person affiliated with CHS has TB and is undergoing treatment.
The letter did not detail any additional information about the confirmed case, however, did say an investigation was initiated after BHSJCHA was notified and they are working to identify people from the 2024-2025 spring semester who may have been exposed.
Anyone who may have been exposed will receive a notification with recommendations for testing, at no cost through BHSJCHA, and a health questionnaire.
“We understand this news may raise concerns, but please know although active TB can be a serious disease, it is a treatable condition,” CCS and BHSJCHA officials said in the letter. “TB outbreaks are also uncommon in United States school settings. In any case, please note we are committed to both an individual’s right to privacy and protecting the health of all students and staff.”
TB is an airborne disease that typically affects the lungs but can also impact the brain, kidneys or the spine. Spending extended time in an enclosed space with someone infected is “required for TB to spread between people,” according to BHSJCHA. While it is contagious, it’s less so than the flu or a cold, and cannot be transferred through shaking someone’s hand, sharing food or drink, sharing toothbrushes, sharing school supplies, kissing, touching bed linens or touching toilet seats.
The following safety recommendations were made to the CHS community:
- If you or your child are not identified as exposed to TB, no action is required on your part, and testing is not recommended. However, if you choose to seek testing for your peace of mind, you may contact your doctor or the BHSJCHA clinic at 517-279-9561 extension 123.
- Monitor for TB signs and symptoms in yourself or your child. Although it is cold and flu season, TB symptoms can be different. Active TB disease can cause a cough with or without blood, sweating at night, weight loss or inability to gain weight, low appetite, feeling tired, swollen glands, or chest pain, among others. These symptoms can start gradually and not go away for months.
- If you or your child have these symptoms, contact your doctor and BHSJCHA team using the information below.
- Watch for further CHS and BHSJCHA communications. If you or your child is identified as being exposed to TB, be ready to complete a consent form for evaluation and testing, as well as receive notification for where and when evaluation and testing will occur.
Until 2021, the United States experienced a nearly 30 year decline in TB cases, including a large decline in 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recovery from pandemic-related health care disruptions, increases in post-pandemic travel and outbreaks in several states have “likely contributed” to recent upward TB trends.
Provisional CDC data from 2024 shows an 8% increase in TB cases nationally from 2023 (9,622 cases in 2023 and 10,347 cases in 2024) as well as an 11% increase in Michigan (149 in 2023 and 165 in 2024).
More information about TB can be found online.
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