PEARLAND, Texas – Officials at the Pearland Independent School District said Friday a diagnosis of tuberculosis is being investigated at Pearland High School.
In a news release, district leaders said State Health Services alerted them to the preliminary diagnosis of TB for a person who had previously been at the school.
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Officials said the Brazoria County Health Department is contacting parents whose children may have had close, prolonged exposure to the person.
“The wellbeing of all students and staff is important to Pearland ISD, and we will continue to work diligently to ensure a healthy school environment,” officials said in the statement.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection, usually of the lungs, that is spread when an infected person coughs, speaks or sings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms can include a bad cough that lasts for three weeks or longer, pain in the chest, coughing up blood, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, chills, fever and night sweats.
Not everyone who is infected with TB becomes sick, according to the CDC.