Health Department said 193 students and 12 staff have had some level of exposure

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WEBVTT POSITIVE FOR TUBERCULOSIS WE HAVE THIS DEVELOPING STORY. >> THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL TEST 193 STUDENTS AND ABOUT A DOZEN STAFF MEMBERS FOR IT. B STARTING NEXT WEEK. TODAY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR SAID THAT THERE'S NO NEED TO PANIC. >> WE TAKE THE SITUATION SERIOUSLY BUT NO CAUSE FOR ALARM. >> A CASE OF T B AT BENSON HIGH SCHOOL, SERIOUS BUT NOT AN EMERGENCY NOT ACCORDING TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR. >> TUBERCULOSIS IS A DISEASE THAT DEVELOPS OVER WEEKS AND WHEN MONTHS AND CURABLE WITH MEDICATION. >> HEARING ABOUT T B IS TROUBLING FOR STUDENTS >> IT FRIGHT HE KNOWS ME BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S A SERIOUS DISEASE AND I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE HERE IN THE BENSON AREA. >> MOST DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT TUBERCULOSIS. >> THEY SAY IT MAKES YOU COUGH. >> IT CAUSES CONCERN FOR PARENTS AS WELL. T B PRIMARILY EFFECTS THE LUNGS. ABAD COUGH, FATIGUE, LOSS OF UPTIED TIGHT AND FEVER. STUDENTS TAKE MEDICATIONS FOR SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS. THEY LEARNED ABOUT THE CONFIRMED CASE TEN DAYS AGO AND BEGAN WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL TO MAKE A PLAN. >> YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT. B BY WALKING NEXT TO SOMEONE DOWN THE HOLLOWAY OR SNAKING SOMEONE'S HAND OR EATING IN THE CAFETERIA. >> THEY'LL BEGIN BLOOD TESTS NEXT WEEK BUT ONLY FOR STUDENT AND STAFF THAT HAD FREQUENT CONTACT WITH T INFECTED STUDENT. >> ANOTHER THING TO KNOW, WHILE SOME PEOPLE MAY GET IT. B AFTER EXPOSURE OTHERS WILL HAVE IT IN THEIR SYSTEM FOR YEARS BEFORE THEY GET SICK.

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The Douglas County Health Department said Wednesday a case of tuberculosis had been confirmed in an Omaha Public Schools student. Health Department officials said 193 Benson High School students and 12 staff members had some level of exposure, putting them at potential risk for tuberculosis infection. The department says it found out about the case ten days ago. The Health Department will hold tuberculosis testing clinics at Benson High School in the coming days. At this time, the Douglas County Health Department is not recommending routine antibiotic prophylaxis for exposed persons. TB primarily affects the lungs, but can also affect the spine and brain. The bacteria is spread by coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include a persistent bad cough, but can include fatigue, lack of an appetite and a fever. Once exposed, the person can feel sick within days. However, some cases result in people getting sick years later, when their immune system weakens because of something else. Treatment may involve several kinds of medications taken over the course of months. A parent information meeting has been scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Benson High School. Douglas County Health Department director Adi Pour says, while tuberculosis is contagious, contracting it requires prolonged exposure to a person with TB. “You are not going to get TB walking next to somebody down the hallway. You are not going to get TB shaking someone’s hand. You are not going to get TB eating in the cafeteria. You really need to have long-term exposure,” she says. She added that there are about 10 to 15 cases of active tuberculosis in the Omaha community each year. Stay with KETV.com and the KETV mobile app for updates on this developing story.