There is “no ongoing risk” of tuberculosis (TB) spreading to students and staff at James L. Alexander School, according to Dr. Johnmark Opondo, deputy medical health officer with the Saskatoon Health Region.
He acknowledged “fear and anxiety” that exists surrounding the condition, but said less than 10 per cent of people who are exposed to TB, and have the disease, actually develop an active case.
“One case being detected in a school doesn’t make an outbreak,” Opondo told reporters Tuesday morning.
READ MORE: Tuberculosis tests planned at James L. Alexander School in Saskatoon
Ruth Thiessen wasn’t sure how to react when her son in Grade 2 brought home a letter saying he needs testing.
“It took me a minute to kind of process it and go ‘wait this is TB. This is something serious,'” Thiessen said.
Tuberculosis is an airborne bacterial disease. Symptoms include severe and prolonged coughing, fever and weight loss. It’s normally spread through coughing or sneezing.
Seventy people, including 64 students and six teachers, are scheduled to be tested for TB at the school. Last Wednesday, parents learned of one person who tested positive for the disease.
There is no need to test everyone at the school, Opondo said.
“We try and find who meets the exposure criteria of having had more than 10 hours per week of exposure to this individual,” Opondo said.
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No information about the patient has been released.
Screening will include a small injection called a tuberculin skin test. Testing will happen at the end of the month. Results are expected to be available 48 to 72 hours after the injection.
About 72 people are diagnosed with TB in Saskatchewan every year, Opondo added.
A vaccine is available, but rarely used among healthy people.
“It is very effective in preventing TB in infants and in children, but unfortunately, it isn’t perfect in adults who get the bulk of the pulmonary form of TB,” said Jeffrey Chen, a tuberculosis research scientist at VIDO-InterVac in Saskatoon.
VIDO-InterVac is currently researching more effective ways to vaccinate against TB.
Most cases of tuberculosis in Canada can be treated by antibiotics over the course of four to nine months.
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