Nyack students exposed to tuberculosis at school

Several students at two Nyack schools were exposed to a person with infectious tuberculosis, Rockland health officials told parents Wednesday.

All students who were exposed to the infected person at Nyack Middle and Liberty Elementary schools have been identified and given information about TB testing, according to a letter from Dr. Anil Vaidian, an infectious disease expert and director of Disease Control & Prevention for the Rockland Department of Health.

The letter did not say how many people at the two schools were exposed or how many, if any, had already been advised to undergo testing.

Parents who received the letter were told that their child was not exposed to the infected person and no testing was needed.

The Rockland County Health Department released the following statement: "The Rockland County Department of Health is administering the response to an individual who recently tested positive for active tuberculosis. The Health Department has notified those who have had direct contact with the patient and has advised them of any testing or treatment that may be needed. Since tuberculosis germs only remain in the environment for a few hours, there should not be any risk of further spread of TB."

TB is spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs, sending microscopic bacteria through the air, putting others at risk. If left untreated, lungs weaken and a person develops chills and fever and eventually dies.

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The bacteria thrive in poorly ventilated, crowded quarters shared by many people who breathe the same air for long periods.

Rates of tuberculosis have been dropping nationwide since a spike in the early 1990s.

There were 15 cases of TB in Rockland in 2013, the most recent information available from the state Department of Health. 

The disease killed 1.5 million people worldwide in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Twitter: @JaneLernerNY