Did you know tuberculosis is spread in the air and symptoms mirror the flu? It can also be fatal if not treated. A case of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has been discovered in someone at Fowler High School in Syracuse.

TB isn't as common as it was but Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta says "it still remains a public health concern. Anyone can contract the disease after exposure to an active TB case. It is treatable and curable by specific antibiotics treatment.”

Tuberculosis is an airborne bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs and is spread when an infected person coughs, speaks, laughs, sings or sneezes into the air and the germs are inhaled by others. Symptoms include: persistent cough, feelings of weakness or lethargy, weight loss, low-grade fever, and/or night sweats. Active TB can take several months after infection to develop.

The Onondaga County Health Department is working with the Syracuse City School District to identify and screen those who may have been exposed. If you think you've been exposed, be sure to get tested as well.

For more information about tuberculosis visit the CDC. Get the latest information on the tuberculosis case in Syracuse at the Onondaga County Health Department.


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