University confirms case of tuberculosis

A Texas A&M University-Commerce student has been diagnosed with tuberculosis, according to the head university physician Dr. Tom Selvaggi. The student, who is no longer enrolled at the university, was diagnosed by the Dallas Health Department.

"Today we received a phone call [from the Dallas Health Department] about a positive tuberculosis case," Selvaggi said. "The initial skin test was negative, but the patient was symptomatic. Then they went ahead and did a chest x-ray and it was positive and they did cultures and they were positive. We have to be prudent and screen everyone who was in a class with the student."

Students who were in classes with the individual must be tested by the Hunt County Health Department. The free screenings are available on Tuesday, April 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Student Health Services. The screenings are mandatory for students in Integrated Sciences 351 and 352, Reading 360 and 370

"One thing to keep in mind is that this is not optional, this is mandatory," Selvaggi said. "It is a public health concern. If they don't come in they will be chased down."

While A&M-Commerce is taking the necessary steps to deal with the situation, tuberculosis is not uncommon in the United States.

"One of the things is to keep this in perspective," Selvaggi said. "Tuberculosis is endemic in the United States. It's truly a universal problem. We're all exposed to it. I bet you could go to a ball game in Dallas and you wouldn't know if anyone there had it. Not to create mass hysteria, but it's everyone and people have probably been around it and they probably don't know it."

While the students in the classes need to be screened, nothing needs to be done to the classrooms according to PA Maxine Mendoza-Welch of A&M-Commerce Student Health Services.

"We are going to identify all of the students and the faculty and staff who were in classes with the student," she said. "We don't have a number yet, we're getting that from the President's office."

According to Mendoza-Welch, the student's information cannot be released because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

Symptoms of active tuberculosis include: ongoing cough that brings up thick, cloudy and sometimes bloody mucus from the lungs; fatigue and weight loss; night sweats and fever; rapid heartbeat; swelling in the neck (when lymph nodes in the neck are infected; or shortness of breath and chest pain (in rare cases).

If individual experience any TB symptoms, they are encouraged to call their personal doctor or a physician at the Health Center. Questions can be directed to Student Health Services at 903-886-5853 or to the Hunt County Health Department at 903-455-4433. Additional information can be acquired at www.cdc.gov/tb/faqs.