Ventura County health officials have scheduled a meeting for Wednesday night after identifying a case of tuberculosis at an elementary school in Oxnard.
The case involved someone at Rose Avenue Elementary School, located at 220 S. Driskill St., officials with Ventura County Public Health said Tuesday. It was unclear whether the individual was a student or staff.
That person is receiving treatment and will have to be cleared before returning to the school’s campus, according to a news release from the agency.
Parents have been notified about the possible TB exposure. Those who may have been in close contact with the infected person will be notified by letter and then tested for the disease, according to health officials.
Testing — which will be free for students and staff — is expected to start this week on the campus.
“Our first priority is to ensure the health and safety of all students and staff at Rose Avenue Elementary School,” Dr. Uldine Castel, the TB controller of Ventura County Public Health, said in the release. “We are working closely with the Oxnard School District to make sure people identified as at risk for exposure are properly assessed by public health officials.”
The health agency will discuss testing, as well as the risk of exposure, and answer questions at an informational meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the school’s cafeteria. Parents, students and staff are invited to attend.
Tuberculosis is a serious but treatable bacterial disease that usually affects the lungs, according to the release. It can also impact the brain, kidneys, spine and other parts of the body.
The airborne disease can be transmitted through microscopic droplets that enter the air when an infected person with an active case coughs or sneezes, health officials say. Someone who breathes in those droplets can then contract the bacteria, though not everyone gets sick.
Those with inactive cases of TB cannot spread the disease.
Symptoms of tuberculosis include a fever, cough, night sweats or chills, and feeling weak or fatigued. If left untreated, TB can result in serious complications.
Concerned parents and staff can get more information by calling a hotline set up by the health agency. That number is 805-385-9444.