Confirmed case of tuberculosis reported on campus of UMass Boston – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

BOSTON (WHDH) – Health officials have confirmed a case of tuberculosis in the UMass Boston community, officials said Tuesday.  

The Boston Public Health Commission in a statement said it was aware of an active case, adding that it was working with both UMass Boston and the state Department of Public Health to conduct contact tracing and inform contacts about possible exposure. 

“Given that tuberculosis requires prolonged close contact to spread from one individual to another, we do not believe this active case poses a health risk to the general public,” officials said. 

“Tuberculosis is a very treatable and curable disease, and we encourage members of the UMass Boston community to contact a health care provider or the student health services if they are concerned about possible exposure,” the public health commission continued in its statement. 

UMass Boston’s Director of University Health Services Robert Pomales addressed the situation in a separate letter to the campus community, writing “It is a high priority for the University of Massachusetts Boston to keep the campus community informed of health issues that have been identified on campus.”

Pomales confirmed a person on campus had been diagnosed with active tuberculosis and said the individual was receiving treatment as of Tuesday evening. 

Pomales continued, saying the person who was found to have tuberculosis may have been infected years before developing the active infection. 

Pomales said approximately 39 people on campus had been identified “as potentially having close contact with the person with active TB.”

“Those people have been contacted and informed about steps they can take to protect themselves,” Pomales said. “Appropriate testing and guidance is occurring.”

The Department of Public Health has information on tuberculosis available on its website.

The Centers for Disease Control on its own website says tuberculosis “remains the world’s deadliest infectious-disease killer.” 

“In the last several years the United States has reported the lowest number of TB cases on record, but too many people still suffer from TB,” the CDC says. “Even with decreasing numbers, TB continues to be a problem.”

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