News Release

Grand Forks, ND – The Grand Forks Public Health Department in conjunction with Grand Forks School District have conducted Tuberculosis (TB) Skin Tests of 23 students and staff at Winship Elementary on Monday, Jan. 28th.

23 tests were reviewed today at Winship Elementary. 22 of the 23 tests read today were normal and one had an abnormal result. This individual with the abnormal result does not exhibit symptoms of active TB and has been referred to their healthcare provider for further testing.

An abnormal test does NOT mean that individual is infectious with TB. An abnormal test result means than an individual has been exposed to TB and that further testing is needed. The student with abnormal test results will be excluded from school until they are cleared by a healthcare professional.

Only those that were determined to have close contact with the student with active TB were asked to get a TB Skin Test.

Tuberculosis is a disease that is spread from person to person through the air when someone with TB has coughed or sneezed. TB is a fragile disease and you must have very close contact in a small space with the infected person in order to come down with TB. You cannot get TB from someone's clothes, drinking glass, eating utensils, handshake, toilet, or other surface. You also can't get TB on the playground, hallway, in a shopping mall, restaurant, or through other casual contact.

For more information on TB in Grand Forks County call Grand Forks Public Health at (701) 787-8100 or log on to www.grandforksgov.com/publichealth.