Posted on 05/20/2005 7:09:54 AM PDT by oldironsides
Oxford- When a staff member at Penns Grove Intermediate School was found to have active tuberculosis, the Chester County Health Department as to test the entire school, including those who had not spent time with that person. Out of the 537 students and staff tested, Superintendent Mary Jane Gales reported that there are 21 positive results. That is just 3.7 percent of those who were tested, a lower figure than the 5 percent to 8 percent that would be expected in the general population. "We are well below (the average) but of course, it is still a concern to us," Gales said at the May 16 Oxford Area School Board meeting. Gales reported that the Health Department has been very cooperative with the school district. The first round of tuberculosis testing has been completed at the school.
Those students and staff that tested negative will have the test repeated in September. To respond to the incident, the health Department has set up a clinic in Toughkenamon for follow up where needed. "We have cooperated fully with the Department of Health," Gales said. "This falls under their job. The only responsibilty we had in this is to notify parents because we had the parents addresses." Gales was unable to go into detail or answer medical- type questions. "It's an unfortunate incident we have had. I think it's been handled the best way it could have been handled," Gales said.
Pam Jenkins, a nurse and parent of a Penns Grove student, addressed the school board with her concerns on the incident. The items she addressed included education of families and in-service for teachers on good health. Jenkins also noted that while parents know they need to supply health forms and meet imunization requirements for their children, they are often unaware of the school districts policy in regard to teachers.
"There is an unknown to the familes out there that is talked about," she said. "We can't change what has occured." One of the things we have to do is education."
Education of the teachers on good health is also important to Jenkins. Knowing when they should stay home sick instead of coming to school and spreading germs is information she would like teachers to have, along with sensible good health practices. Jenkins added that as a nurse, she is tested for tuberculosis each year. She encourages the district to continue testing, for the next few years.
FYI Ping
Another problem is that some refugee groups have been given a TB innoculation popular in Europe, but not widely used in the US. People receiving this innoculation will have a positive skin test for TB and will need X-rays and further tests to rule out active TB.
I was exposed back in '89/'90 and ended up taking a medication (INF? INH?) for six months. But supposedly now I'm less likely to be infected with TB than the average Joe. I did some research and a report on the subject years ago, and apparently there was quite a problem with drug-resistant TB strains developing because people would start the medication regimen, but not finish it or take the pill regularly.
We lived in Asia for ten years and my mother was exposed. This never developed into anything but turned up on her X-ray which was mandatory for teaching high school in Iowa.
Betcha $100 that the unspoken secret here is that they are all children of illegal aliens.
Tuberculosis CELEBRATES Diversity.
The BCG vaccine is controversial. It's effectiveness is questionable at best. It is also debateable whether receiving the BCG vaccine will render one's Mantoux TB skin test to be positive or not. It is widely accepted that after about 10 years or so after receiving a BCG vaccination, one should not mount a positive TB skin test. Because of the questionable effectiveness of the BCG vaccine, because of the serious infections that TB can cause and, because of the existent of multidrug resistant strains (mdr-TB), and because TB can be spread so easily through airborne droplets, the medical community in the US recommends that when a previously BCG vaccinated patient tests positive for TB by the Mantoux skin test, treatment must be given even if the patient does not have active TB (i.e. negative chest xray).
Tuberculosis orphaned my great grandfather and his sisters. He emigrated from Wales to the U.S. in 1863 at age 18. His father died from TB when he was 2 years old. TB took a huge toll on the small villages of mid-Wales in the 1800s.
ping
Wow! That's right next door. Maybe we ought to do some testing here in Delaware County.
My point to this is I have read that illegal immigrants have a high rate of TB, along with other medical problems.
The link to this article is no good, and a Google News search turns up nothing on it. Do you have a valid link?
I would'nt take that bet.
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