Person at Renton High School diagnosed with active tuberculosis, health officials say
RENTON, Wash. -- A person at Renton High School has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis, and about 130 people from the school community are recommended to be screened for TB, Public Health - Seattle & King County said Monday.
TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that are passed from person to person through the air, but it's much harder to spread than the cold or flu, health officials said.
Screenings will be offered at the school on Thursday to determine if anyone has symptoms of active TB or latent TB (without symptoms), health officials said.
"The person with active TB disease is currently receiving treatment, and is not currently a risk for infecting others, the health department said in a news release.
In King County, 98 new cases of TB disease were reported in 2015. On average, two cases of TB disease are diagnosed in King County each week, the news release said.