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“It’s really critical that we move rapidly,” Frederick told reporters after a public meeting with parents Thursday. “If this was a situation with a lot of adults, we would probably be handling this a little bit differently; we’d have a little bit more time. Knowing that it’s children … we’re taking it very seriously.”
The United States has worked toward eliminating tuberculosis and no longer vaccinates people against it, but it remains in circulation. The number of reported cases dropped during the height of the pandemic but rose again last year.
Symptoms include a long-running cough, chest pain, fatigue, fever and night sweats. Tuberculosis is transmitted through coughing, sneezing, speaking and singing. It isn’t passed through surfaces, handshakes or sharing drinks or food, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
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It’s not as easy to catch as the coronavirus or a cold, Huse said, but people can contract it by spending time in an enclosed space with someone contagious.
The patient is doing well, isolating and being monitored during treatment, health officials said. They did not say whether the person was a child or an adult. Their symptoms began in late August, but the person wasn’t tested for TB until this week.
The county health department learned about the confirmed case Tuesday and began working with the YMCA to comb attendance records and notify families of potential exposure. Most families have been reached by the health department, Huse said, and none has reported concerning symptoms indicative of possible infections so far.
The Washington Post
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