Six Aragon students exposed to tuberculosis

The antibiotic being recommended for those who tested positive is "highly effective" in preventing TB-related illnesses when taken for nine months, according to the Public Health Agency.

"Usually if there's a positive skin test, we go ahead and provide the antibiotic," said Dorothy Vura-Weis, assistant health officer for the county.

It's very rare that the antibiotic has any side effects in young people, Vura-Weis said.

So far, nearly all the 155 students and 25 staff who may have come in contact with the student have been tested; the county's Public Health Agency is awaiting skin test results on two staff members. Five students remain to be tested and 10 are being tested by their private physicians.

The six students who tested positive - and were not previously known to be positive - remain in school, Thames said.

Even with confirmed positive results, only 10 percent of those with latent infections develop the active lung sickness, which can be cured with medication. TB infection is generally transmitted through the air, and is not spread by dishes, linens and items that are touched or by sharing food. TB is also killed by sunlight and is rapidly dispersed by moving air.

While many can carry the disease, it only becomes contagious once it is active.

"At this time, nobody's showing symptoms of coughing," Thames said.

The next step is to figure out if the six students who've tested positive contracted tuberculosis from their exposure to the unidentified student. These students will be given chest X-rays and health officials are recommending they take the antibiotic.

False positives can occur for a variety of reasons, Vura-Weis said, including bacteria leftover from other infections.

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.