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Charleroi High School student diagnosed with TB sent home

By Brad Hundt 2 min read

A student at Charleroi High School was sent home Monday after they returned to the school without a doctor’s clearance following a tuberculosis diagnosis.

In a letter posted to the website of the Charleroi Area School District, Superintendent Ed Zelich wrote that the student “was diagnosed with tuberculosis a couple of weeks ago,” and that when officials learned that the student had come back to school without a clearance from a physician, “we immediately isolated the student and sent them home.”

Zelich also stated that he, along with district principals and school nurses, talked with officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Health office in Monessen, and that after reviewing the situation, the health office “confirmed that no public health action is currently necessary for our district” and that the department would notify the district if that changes.

“Please know that we are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to work with the appropriate health authorities to ensure our students and staff’s safety and well-being,” Zelich wrote.

The superintendent could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Once a common killer in the United States, tuberculosis has become much less widespread in the last several decades. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were a little more than 9,600 cases in the United States in 2023. The agency estimates there are about 13 million people in the United States with inactive tuberculosis. Around the world, it is the 13th leading cause of death.

Nevertheless, this is a far cry from the 1910s, when tuberculosis resulted in the deaths of about 60,000 Americans per year.

Tuberculosis can be transmitted through the air when someone with an active case coughs or sneezes, or even when they speak or sing. Some of the symptoms include a cough that lasts for more than three weeks, unintended weight loss, fever, chills and night sweats. Tuberculosis is typically treated by antibiotics that should be taken over a period of months.

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