A person on the UMass Boston campus has active tuberculosis, officials said in a letter to the school community Monday.
About 39 people at UMass Boston were identified as having possibly been exposed to the person with tuberculosis and have been contacted, according to the memo from University Health Services Director Robert Pomales. The individual, whose relationship with UMass Boston wasn't provided, is being treated, and may have gotten the infection years ago before it flared up.
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"Although TB is a serious disease caused by a germ that is spread through the air, it is important to note that the general UMass Boston community is not at increased risk for getting a TB infection as a result of this case," Pomales said in the note.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that can be fatal if not treated properly. It can be latent, meaning that the bacteria exists in a person's body without causing disease. But it can develop into TB disease at any point after infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The bacteria that causes TB spreads through the air, if a person who has TB disease in their lungs or throat coughs, speaks or sings, officials say, allowing others to breathe the bacteria in.
Dr. C. Michael Gibson says it takes prolonged exposure, like what is seen on college campuses, to spread.
"Having this many people in such a close proximity to each other, raises concerns, it is airborne," Gibson said. "With the appropriate public health measures, with contact tracing, screening, making sure no one else is coming down with it, isolating that person, of course, I think we'll be able to keep this under control."
Gibson adds that cough, fever, chills, weight loss and fatigue can all be symptoms.
Students told NBC10 Boston on Tuesday night that they're taking precautions and staying vigilant.
"I was a little shocked at first, I was like woah, you don't hear stuff like this everyday," one student said. "I was like 'Oh My God' so everyone is starting to get alarmed and I was like, should I start to feel concerned? Because you never know who you run into on campus."
"There are all sorts of people here doing all sorts of things, you are bound to hear some weird stuff," another student said.
UMass Boston hasn't said if this patient is a student, faculty member or what connection they have to campus. The school requires all students to complete a tuberculosis screening questionnaire and international students who come from a high-risk country are required to test for it.
Tuberculosis is rare in Massachusetts but cases do occur. Last year, there were 153 cases in the state, according to health data, a lower case rate than nationwide. More than 90% of Massachusetts' cases were in people born outside the U.S.
