Nimitz High School Testing for Spread of Tuberculosis

At Nimitz High School in Irving, it's testing day -- but not for class. A student diagnosed with tuberculosis may have infected as many as 100 students and teachers.

The district is trying to do everything it can to stop the spread of the disease, contacting those who might have come in contact with the infected student and giving them free testing for disease.

The Irving Health Department is doing skin tests Wednesday morning on the classmates and teachers exposed to the infected student. The district worries the people who had closest contact with the student in class could have the disease and not know it.

“Most of the people here are freaking out,” says Nimitz Sophomore David Perez.  As word is spreading that a student has been diagnosed with T.B., so are concerns.

“I thought I had it last night. I was sick it was pretty bad. I was really bad.,” says student Isaac Ruiz.

The 90 students and 8 teachers who could have been infected got a phone call from the district, like Diamond Barnes.

“They notified me. The called me,” says Barnes, a Nimitz Junior.  “It was kind of scary, because I didn't know if I'm going to get it or what it's going to do to me."

The district says the students and teachers may have had contact with the contagious classmate this spring, between March and May.

The teen was just diagnosed the end of the summer and is getting treated for the disease. The student is not currently attending the school.

The bacteria is spread through the air by coughing or sneezing.  It can live in the body without making someone sick. That’s why the district says it’s important those at highest risk get tested.

“I’m just glad they're testing everyone for it,” says Barnes’ dad, Lance Turner.

“It’s quite possible that no one is going to have a positive test.  It's quite possible that nobody has any symptoms, but as a precaution you want to take this step and follow all recommendations of the health department and be here for these kids,” says Irving ISD spokesperson, Lesley Weaver.

The students and teachers who are tested on Wednesday will get their results on Friday.  TB can be treated with medication.

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