There is no evidence that TB has spread to Wilson Central High School and about 450 students and staff were tested after a recent diagnosis of a student.

There were 401 students and staff tested by the Tennessee Department of Health and the rest by a private provider, said Health Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Hart.

"At the moment, the Tennessee Department of Health is not recommending any special TB precautions for students and staff at Wilson Central High School," said Hart.

It is not planned to test more people at Wilson Central at the moment. Families of those tested will receive additional information and badysis, Hart said.

The 450 students and staff tested were identified on the basis of close personal contact with the infected student on a regular basis, according to a letter sent by Travis Mayfield, senior director of Wilson, Jan. 22.

The tuberculosis bacterium spreads in the air and the vast majority of people infected with TB never get sick because the body's immune system can fight it, health officials said.

It usually takes years for people infected to switch to active TB, which allows time to identify those infected and to implement treatment to prevent progression later in life.

The district closed the schools from 29 January to 1 February due to illness, which, according to officials, has no connection with the case of tuberculosis, although it has delayed some tests.

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Contact Andy Humbles at [email protected] or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles.

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