UPDATE 5:30 P.M. AUG. 8: Experts say that parents should not worry about sending their children to school next week after the tuberculosis death.
Dr. Daliah Wachs, a family physician and mother, said if the school was cleaned properly during summer break, there's virtually no risk of the disease contaminating any surfaces.
Dr. Joe Iser with the Southern Nevada Health District agreed, saying if he had grandchildren that age, he would send them back to school next week without a second thought.
Wachs says it will be important to find out whether the woman was treated for TB. If she was, it could mean she had a resistant, and thus stronger, form of the disease.
UPDATE 11:30 P.M. AUG. 7: The Clark County School District has sent out a statement regarding a staff member with tuberculosis at Fremont Middle School. CCSD acknowledged the testing and said parents who have concerns leading into school starting next Monday should contact the health district.
The statement reads:
"Providing a safe, positive learning environment for our students is the number one priority for the Clark County School District. When a school or the school district becomes aware of a health issue, CCSD's Health Services Department works with representatives from the Southern Nevada Health District to take appropriate action. Last month, when it was learned that a person who was at Fremont Middle School had an active case of TB, the school sent out a ParentLink message to let parents know that representatives from the Southern Nevada Health District would be contacting households who would likely need to obtain testing for their children. All parents at the school were encouraged to contact the SNHD if they had any questions or concerns about possible signs of TB. As the new school year begins next week, parents and staff who have questions regarding TB testing should contact their licensed health care provider or the Southern Nevada Health District."
ORIGINAL STORY
More than 100 people who may have been exposed to tuberculosis have been tested after a female who had been at Fremont Middle School died of the disease in July.
None of the 100-plus people have shown signs of TB, according to Dr. Joseph Iser, chief health officer of the Southern Nevada Health District. They may be tested again in six weeks as a precaution to make sure the TB germ isn't dormant at the time of the first test.
Neither Iser, nor the Clark County School District, would confirm who the female was at Fremont Middle School, whether it was an employee or otherwise.
This is a developing story. Check back to 13 Action News for updates.
