UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- An 18-year old female student who lives in Sproul Hall on Penn State's University Park campus has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB). The student did not receive her medical care for this condition at University Health Services (UHS) but UHS was able to confirm the case by contacting the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH).

UHS, working in concert with the state Department of Health, is contacting those who have been in close contact with the student in order to provide to them appropriate information and testing. At this point PA DOH public health officials are recommending testing only for very for close contacts. Testing is not recommended for others who lived on her floor, or for those with intermittent contact, including in class. The Department of Health does not recommend testing for housing or food service workers.

According to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TB disease is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with active TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.

The CDC site says TB is not spread by shaking someone’s hand, sharing food or drink, touching bed linens or toilet seats, sharing toothbrushes or kissing.

Symptoms of active tuberculosis include:

-- a bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
-- pain in the chest
-- coughing up blood or sputum
-- weakness or fatigue
-- weight loss
-- no appetite
-- chills
-- fever
-- sweating at night

However, not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. People who are infected but not sick have what is called latent TB infection. People who have latent TB infection do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms and cannot spread TB to others. But, some people with latent TB infection go on to get TB disease.

There is good news. People with active TB disease can be treated if they seek medical help. Even better, most people with latent TB infection can take medicine so that they will not develop active TB disease.

Students with questions or concern can call the UHS advice line at 814-863-4463. To read a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet providing general information about tuberculosis, visit http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/general/tb.htm online.

UHS is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday; and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. It is best to go online to http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/myuhs/ or call 814-863-0774 to get an appointment.