Palm Springs student diagnosed with TB, prompting health warnings

A Palm Springs middle school student is undergoing treatment for tuberculosis, prompting health officials Thursday to issue an advisory recommending that anyone who may have come into contact with the youth to get tested.

According to the Riverside County Department of Public Health, the Raymond Cree Middle School student, whose name was not released, fell ill recently and was diagnosed with active tuberculosis.

“We are working in collaboration with the Riverside University Health System on notification and screening logistics to ensure that students and staff who may have been exposed receive the information and follow up guidance in a timely manner,” Palm Springs Unified School District Director of Health Services Laura Dyson said.

The student was hospitalized temporarily and is now at home, with expectations that the minor will fully recover, according to health officials.

PSUSD sent emails Thursday to the parents and guardians of roughly 50 students who may have come into contact with the TB patient. About 20 teachers and support staff at Cree Middle School were also slated to be notified about exposure risks, officials said.

All of those contacted were encouraged to receive TB screenings, using their own medical practitioners, or taking part in a testing clinic planned next week at the campus by the health department.

“The testing is quick and can provide peace of mind for both parents and children,” county Public Health Officer Dr. Geoffrey Leung said. “Once the test is administered, the child will need to come back in two days to have it read by a health care worker.”

TB screening begins with a quick skin test. If that turns up positive, the person is asked to take a chest X-ray to confirm infection.

Officials said that informational letters were additionally being sent to all parents and guardians with children who attend the school, but those are strictly designed to keep the public informed and shouldn’t be interpreted as a recommendation to get tested.

There was no word on the origin of the TB, or how the youth acquired it.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TB is spread through coughing, sneezing, singing and speaking. People cannot be infected through handshaking, kissing or handling bedding and toilet seats.

Health officials noted that some people can be infected with TB without manifesting symptoms, which include fever, coughing, night sweats and chest pain. Those with inactive TB are generally not infectious.

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