A northwest Georgia school district is urging parents not to worry after two cases of tuberculosis were confirmed at two of its elementary schools.
The Floyd County School District said Thursday the Georgia Department of Public Health notified it of one confirmed case at Model Elementary School and one at Johnson Elementary School. Both schools remain open.
Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic. The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes.
“While this may be a cause of concern, the risk of becoming infected with TB is low,” a statement on the school district’s website said.
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Two letters from the department of health will be going home to all families at those schools and will include “more details and plans of action,” Superintendent Jeff Wilson confirmed to Channel 2 Action News. One will be sent to anyone who may have had contact with those infected, and another one to those less at risk.
Wilson said both schools were cleaned Thursday. He said it is no longer an active threat.
Department of Health Director Dr. Unini Odama said the organization is “working with FCS officials to identify and test individuals at risk of exposure to TB based on guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
“We are confident that actions by school officials and Floyd Medical Center are guarding the health of the students, staff and public,” Odama said. “The confirmed TB cases are being treated at home and do not present a danger to others."
Wilson told Channel 2 the school district will offer free tuberculosis testing to students and staff at both schools next week.
Treatment for tuberculosis is available, and there are 10 drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to combat the disease, according to the CDC.
The drug Bacille Calmette-Guerin is used as a vaccine to prevent the disease, but it is not widely used in the U.S. and "should only be considered for children who have a negative TB test," the CDC said.
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