LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — Lincoln County health leaders are trying to trace where someone at a high school got tuberculosis.
The county first warned people last week about the case at East Lincoln High School.
A spokesperson for the county said right now they can not determine if the student contracted TB on campus or somewhere else. They are not releasing details about that student, but they are reaching out to everyone they know had contact with the infected student.
They also want others to know they may have been exposed and aren’t aware. Health officials said someone exposed can be a TB carrier without showing systems. The symptoms can show up later.
They said if a student feels sick, first get tested for TB. The health department offers free TB tests. Second, immediately let the county health officials know if you test positive. They said TB is treatable and curable, but they said there is a better chance of beating TB with early detection.
“It’s infectious. It can damage your kidneys, it can damage your lungs,” said Vanessa Leon, a public affairs officer in Lincoln County. “So that’s why it is important to treat it and if you don’t treat it, there are serious health affects.”
The county has had six cases from 2014-2024. This is the first reported case at a school. They are working to learn when the student contracted TB to inform and protect people who may have been unknowingly exposed.
There is a vaccine for tuberculosis but according to the CDC, it’s not generally used in the United States. They said it’s given to babies and children in countries where TB is common.
In the US, the CDC said the vaccine is only considered for people who meet specific criteria and in consultation with a TB expert.
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