Two Sacramento-area schools are preparing to test 200 children for tuberculosis (TB) next week after it was discovered that two kids tested positive for the infectious disease and may have exposed others. Several students have also been infected with whooping cough (pertussis) in Salinas.
The two schools affected are Franklin High School and Franklin Elementary School. According to an employee with Franklin Elementary, who spoke with Breitbart News, “there was a letter that was sent home to all students and the students that we felt were affected–based on any contact with the student–were sent a separate letter.”
She said TB testing was carried out at the beginning of this week and that results are expected by week’s end. “Sacramento County is conducting the testing,” she told Breitbart News.
The infected students reportedly lived in the same household and their parent was infected with TB, which then spread to the kids due to prolonged exposure. One of the students attends Franklin Elementary, the other Franklin High.
Dr. Olivia Kasirya, Public Health Officer for Sacramento County, said the risk to students is low and that the testing is a precaution, according to local NBC news affiliate KCRA.
“We’re just wondering the length of exposure our kid may have been exposed to it,” a concerned parent of two students at Franklin Elementary, Yapo Cha, told KCRA.
Dr. Kasriye said the two students who were infected by their parent are now in isolation and on the road to recovery.
Nearly 30 students also tested positive for tuberculosis at a Kansas City-area high school this week
Two-and-a-half hours away, in Salinas, a four students have been diagnosed with whooping cough at Monterey Park School. Pertussis is also a highly-contagious, airborne disease.
According to KSBW News, the first case was diagnosed on February 25th and all four students are in the same fifth grade class. The Monterey County Health Department is reportedly handling this case.
California State Department officials declared a whooping cough epidemic in June of last year.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz
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