On Tuesday, Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta reported that a case of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) was reported in an individual affiliated with the Public Service Leadership Academy (PSLA) at Fowler High School. It is not clear if the patient is a student or a staff member.

TB
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Image/CDC

Dr. Gupta explained, “While TB is less common than it once was, 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.”

Testing for students and staff will begin on Friday where some 100 people are expected to be tested.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.

TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page

Related: