Pennsylvania student diagnosed with tuberculosis attends school without permission, district says

CHARLEROI, Pa. (CITC) — A Pennsylvania high school student who tested positive for tuberculosis attended school Monday without a doctor’s permission, the school district said.

Charleroi School District (CASD) Superintendent Ed Zelich wrote in a message to families Monday that the student was diagnosed with tuberculosis “a few weeks ago.” Once district officials realized the high school student was at school without permission, the student was “immediately isolated” and sent home, Zelich said.

The areas where the student was isolated were “thoroughly cleaned,” according to the superintendent. He also noted that CASD officials later spoke with local health officials, who determined that a “public health action” was not necessary for the district.

“Please know that we are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to work with the appropriate health authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff,” Zelich wrote.

Zelich, in a Dec. 27 message, told the community that CASD was aware of social media posts containing “inaccurate information” regarding a “supposed” tuberculosis outbreak. He said at the time there were no cases of “active” tuberculosis involving CASD students or staff.

In October, approximately 200 students and staff at Walton High School in Cobb County, Georgia, were tested for tuberculosis after possible exposure. Individuals then underwent tuberculin skin testing by Cobb & Douglas Public Health.

Testing ultimately revealed that no Walton students or staff had tested positive for tuberculosis, according to Cobb & Douglas Public Health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) wrote in its 2024 global TB report that cases of the disease have increased internationally, with 8.2 million people diagnosed worldwide in 2023. This The figure represents a jump from the total of 7.5 million cases in 2022, according to the report. .

The WHO noted that the increase in cases reflected population growth and that the United States was not among five countries accounting for 56% of the global total.

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