JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Fulton County Board of Health issued a warning to families of Johns Creek High School that someone connected to the school tested positive for tuberculosis.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that mostly attacks the lungs.
Despite school not being in session, Johns Creek High School is open for a variety of activities this summer.
Health workers are now working to identify who may have been exposed and have not yet said whether the person who tested positive is a student or a staff member.
Officials said the disease spreads through the air, but also there’s no reason to panic. Tuberculosis typically requires prolonged contact with someone who has n active infection.
“There is a process that we utilize—contact tracing—and we look at a lot of variables," said Dr. Alawode Oladele, a tuberculosis physician.
Thursday morning, the health department sent a letter to Johns Creek families explaining that only those believed to have been in contact with the infected person will receive a second letter with information about a free screening.
Some students say they heard about the case from friends before seeing the letter.
“I just heard about it after basketball practice... she had to get her blood drawn, and that’s all I heard,” said Jase Siebold, student at Johns Creek High School.
For the students who need further screening, FCBOH said there will be two testing and result reading days in June and July at North Fulton Regional Health Center in Alpharetta, free of charge for students.
TRENDING STORIES
- No flight plan filed for helicopter in crash that killed Georgia groom on wedding day
- These Georgia beaches have elevated levels of fecal bacteria, state says
- Atlanta resident hits $10.3 million jackpot after just 3 minutes at slot machine
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]