Gwinnett County

Person at South Gwinnett High School diagnosed with tuberculosis, more to be tested

Gwinnett County Board of Public Health center

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Someone at South Gwinnett High School has tested positive for tuberculosis.

The school principal notified students and teachers on Wednesday that about 150 people came in close contact with that person but did not say if the person was a teacher, student or part of the staff.

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Health officials told Channel 2’s Michael Seiden that there’s no reason to panic and they plan on testing students and teachers on Monday as a precautionary measure.

“The risk of TB transmitting in the school is going to be really low,” said Dorian Freeman, director of clinical infectious diseases for the Gwinnett Newton Rockdale Public Health Department.

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Freeman said she and her staff have identified about 150 people who were in close and continuous contact with the person who became infected.

“The testing will take place at the school on next week,” Freeman said.

In the meantime, the health department said they are staying in touch with school officials, but at this point, life on campus appears to be business as usual.

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“We understand that anytime we’re talking about exposures to infectious diseases that it definitely causes a lot of anxiety in the community but know that we’re working diligently to answer any questions,” Freeman said.

Health officials told Seiden as a general rule only one in 10 people who come into contact with TB will develop the disease.

Tuberculosis is a disease that normally affects the lungs and is typically spread through close contact.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TB cannot be given to another person unless they are themselves ill, and symptoms do not always appear right away.

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