CHARLOTTE — A local doctor addressed the community Wednesday morning after Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools confirmed a case of tuberculosis at North Mecklenburg High School.
It’s not clear if the infected person is a student or a teacher at the school, but the district says it’s working with the county health department to identify and let anyone know who may have been exposed.
Dr. David Priest with Novant Health explained that while TB is contagious, it doesn’t spread as quickly as COVID-19 or the flu.
“Usually the people who are most at risk of getting TB are those who have been around the case for long periods of time — a number of hours,“ he said. ”So if I am out and about or in the hallway at school, and I walk by someone who has TB, my risk of acquiring that are quite low.”
Dr. Priest says those who are at most risk of getting the infection are the ones living in the same house or those who have been in close contact for several hours.
TB vaccines are not required in the United States because of the historically low number of cases.
VIDEO: Tuberculosis case investigation continues in Lincoln County
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