Public health reports tuberculosis case at Oxnard elementary school
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. -- Ventura County Public Health reports an identified case of tuberculosis disease at an elementary school in Oxnard.
The case was found at Rose Avenue Elementary School in Oxnard.
Oxnard School District have since notified parents.
Ventura County Public Health will hold an informational meeting on Wednesday, March 4 at 6:00 p.m. to answer questions from parents, students and staff. Officials will also share information about the risk of exposure to tuberculosis and discuss plans for testing.
Officials will test students and staff that may have had close contact with the individual that was identified with the tuberculosis disease.
The tuberculosis control team will also look at others that the patient has had contact with.
The identified individuals will receive a letter notifying them that they may have been exposed and that they need to be tested for tuberculosis. Public health says that there will be no cost for the tests.
The Ventura County Public Health Tuberculosis Controller gave the following statement amidst the case:
“Our first priority is to ensure the health and safety of all students and staff at Rose Avenue Elementary School. The individual with TB disease is receiving treatment and will return to the school campus only after Public Health has provided clearance. TB is a disease that can be treated and prevented. We are working closely with the Oxnard School District to make sure people identified as at risk for exposure are properly assessed by public health officials.”
Dr. Uldine Castel, TB Controller, Ventura County Public Health.
The meeting will be held in the Rose Avenue Elementary cafeteria located at 220 South Driskill Street in Oxnard.
Tuberculosis is a serious, treatable and slow-growing bacterial disease.
It usually affects the lungs but it can also affect other parts of the body including the brain, kidneys and spine.
Tuberculosis is transmitted person-to-person through microscopic droplets that enter the air when a person with active pulmonary TB disease coughs or sneezes.
People who breathe in air containing this bacteria can become infected however not everyone infected becomes sick.
Anyone with concerns regarding tuberculosis can call Ventura County Public Health's hotline at 805-385-9444.
For more information about tuberculosis from the California Department of Public Health click here.
For Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click here.
