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It’s unclear how the person with tuberculosis is associated with the school, wrote Robert Pomales, executive director of the university’s health services.
Officials said the person is being treated and may have been infected years before this flare-up, NBC Boston reported.
"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 wrote.
The Boston Public Health Commission said it is working closely with UMass Boston, and there’s no health risk to the general public, a commission spokesperson said in a statement to the Daily Voice.
The Boston Public Health Commission is aware of an active case of tuberculosis within the UMass Boston community. BPHC is working closely with the university and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to conduct contact tracing and inform close contacts about their possible exposure. Given that tuberculosis requires prolonged close contact to spread from one individual to another, we do not believe this active case poses a health risk to the general public. Tuberculosis is a very treatable and curable disease, and we encourage members of the UMass Boston community to contact a health care provider or the student health services if they are concerned about possible exposure.
TB is a bacterial infection in the lungs. While not easily passed from person to person, and not everyone with TB becomes sick, it can be fatal if not treated, health officials said, according to Boston 25 News.
A person with TB can spread germs through the air by coughing, sneezing, or shouting, according to the Boston Public Health Commission’s fact sheet.
According to the commission, symptoms of active TB include:
- Cough
- Increased phlegm
- Coughing blood
- Lumps in the neck
- Pain in the bones or back
- Headache
- Pain when moving the head
- Stiff neck
- Fever
Medical officials said anyone who suffers from these symptoms should contact their doctor.
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