ATLANTA — Fifty students and faculty members tested positive for exposure to tuberculosis during a public health screening, said the East Metro Health District.
Health officials say tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that usually infects the lungs, but can attack almost any part of the body. Tuberculosis is spread from person to person through the air.
Nearly 360 people were tested at Lilburn Middle School last week after two cases of the disease were reported among sixth-graders, East Metro Health District said.
The principal at the school, Gene Taylor, sent a letter home encouraging parents to allow their kids to get tested as a preventive measure.
East Metro Health District said the students and teachers who tested positive have been referred for follow-up exams and it is unlikely that all of them will develop TB.
Not everyone with TB becomes sick or exhibits symptoms, said the East Metro Health District.
WSBTV
