Penn Wood Middle School Confirms TB Case
Delaware County health officials have confirmed that a person at Penn Wood Middle School in the William Penn School District has tested positive for tuberculosis.[0] The Delaware County Health Department issued a statement Monday night that the agency was notified of the diagnosis by the school district on Sunday.
Tuberculosis, or TB, is a bacterial infection that commonly affects the lungs, and can be deadly if not properly treated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[1] It is spread through close, repeated contact by breathing the same air.[2] A person would need to spend around 15 hours of contact per week in close contact with an infected person to catch the infection.[3]
The Health Department has stressed that students and staff can continue active learning in the school setting.[4] Officials from the health department are collaborating with representatives from the school in order to ascertain which students and staff may have been exposed to the disease.[5] The Health Department is notifying those identified as close contacts regarding testing arrangements.[4]
Anyone with questions or concerns that they may need to be tested, should contact the Delaware County Health Department. The Delaware County Health Department Wellness Line is available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., by phone at 484-276-2100 or by email at [email protected]
For more information about TB, visit cdc.gov.[4] Parents who are worried that they or their kids may have been in close proximity to an infected person should be aware that not everyone exposed will become ill.[6]
0. “Person tests positive for tuberculosis at middle school in Delaware County, health officials say” FOX 29 Philadelphia, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.fox29.com/news/person-tests-positive-for-tuberculosis-at-middle-school-in-delaware-county-health-officials-say
1. “Delaware County reports a tuberculosis case in a middle school” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.inquirer.com/health/delaware-county-penn-wood-middle-school-tuberculosis-case-testing-exposure-20230124.html
2. “Mandatory testing to commence after confirmed tuberculosis case at local elementary school” KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas, 25 Jan. 2023, https://www.ktnv.com/news/mandatory-testing-to-commence-after-confirmed-tuberculosis-case-at-local-elementary-school
3. “Individual at Delco school tests positive for tuberculosis; official says public at large is not at risk” KYW, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.audacy.com/kywnewsradio/news/local/penn-wood-middle-school-delaware-county-tb-tuberculosis
4. “Tuberculosis case reported in Delaware County, health department says” The Delaware County Daily Times, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.delcotimes.com/2023/01/23/tuberculosis-case-reported-in-delaware-county-health-department-says
5. “Delaware County confirms tuberculosis case in school” WHYY, 24 Jan. 2023, https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-county-tuberculosis-case-william-penn-school-district/
6. “Delco Middle Schooler Test Positive For Tuberculosis: Health Department” Daily Voice, 24 Jan. 2023, https://dailyvoice.com/pennsylvania/delaware/news/delco-middle-schooler-test-positive-for-tuberculosis-health-department/854998/