[Merika]

I put this is 'family' for no real reason other than it should be a family matter as far as knowledge.

Up until last week, I really didn't think too much about this. In MOST countries Turberculosis is a rare situation. However, in doing some research...it seems this is beginning to show up in school in isolated areas due to immigrant children not being properly tested before entering into the public school system.

My daughter's high school has a confirmed case of TB from a young girl from another country. She has several classes with my daughter, therefore my daughter is one of the 50 or so kids who are now having to go thru shots.

My daughter is young and healthy and we certainly believe the best. However, I think as parents we should demand ALL children be tested before entering into the public school system. If my kids have to have all their shots before going to school....then so should anyone who goes to that same school.


What Countries have a High Incidence of TB?
It is easier to identify countries of low rather than high TB incidence. Therefore, individuals should undergo TB screening if they arrived from countries EXCEPT those on the following list: Canada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Virgin Islands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, American Samoa, Australia, or New Zealand.


TB is an infection caused by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and someone breathes in the air-borne bacteria. Once someone breathes in TB bacteria, the bacteria can settle in the lungs and begin to multiply. As the TB bacteria grow, they may spread to other parts of the body such as the kidneys, spine, and brain.

There are two stages, or phases, of TB infection.

• In the first stage, the latent phase, a person infected with TB rarely has any noticeable symptoms and cannot spread the disease to others.

• If latent TB is left untreated, a person may develop TB disease, with symptoms such as a bad cough that may bring up blood, weakness, fatigue, chills, and chest pain. People with TB disease may spread the disease to other people they come in close contact with, including friends, family members, and coworkers.


A TB skin test, blood and urine tests, and x-rays can help doctors determine whether a person has latent TB infection or TB disease. If a person has latent TB or TB disease, the disease is very curable, but he or she will need to take prescription medications for months to treat the infection.