Report: Lowell High School Student Diagnosed With Tuberculosis

LOWELL (CBS) – A Lowell High School student is reportedly being treated for tuberculosis and now about 100 students and a dozen teachers will have to be tested to see if they were exposed.

Health Director Frank Singleton told the Lowell Sun the student was showing symptoms several weeks ago before being diagnosed.

The student is no longer in school and has not been identified.

Tuberculosis infection or disease is caused by a germ that you breathe into your lungs.

Read: Tuberculosis Fact Sheet (.pdf)

Singleton told the paper only students and staff who were in close contact with the student will be given skin tests, which show whether a person has ever been exposed to the bacteria that causes the disease.

"Tuberculosis is a treatable disease with antibiotics and is not easily contracted," Singleton told the paper.

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