Wayne Township school district warns of possible TB exposure

The Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township notified parents Wednesday that dozens of elementary students could have been exposed to tuberculosis. 

The school district said 46 students at Westlake Elementary School were possibly exposed to the contagious bacterial infection during a volunteer tutoring program at the school. 

In a letter to parents, the school said they would categorize the students’ risk of infection as low, “unless they have an immunocompromising medical condition such as HIV.”

The students were reported to have been exposed sometime between February and April 2012. 

The Marion County Health Department recommended children receive a TB skin test, free of charge, to determine if they are infected. 

Tuberculosis is an airborne illness that is highly contagious.  TB germs generally attack the lungs and can also attack other parts of the body, including the kidneys, brain and spine. 

Click here to read the letter to parents from the school and the Marion County Health Department.