A member of the Dartmouth College community has been diagnosed with an active case of tuberculosis, according to an email Wednesday from the college’s health services director.
The person, whose identity the college is withholding due to patient confidentiality laws, is currently receiving medical care off-campus and will not return until they’ve been cleared by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Services, Dr. Mark Reed wrote in his campus-wide email.
“The health and safety of our community is our most important concern and I want to stress that there is no further risk of tuberculosis contagion to the community from this person,” Reed wrote.
Working with Dr. Elizabeth Talbot, a Geisel School of Medicine professor and the deputy state epidemiologist, the college will work to identify and contact anyone who was in close contact with the sick person who may need to be screened for tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis, or TB, is caused by an airborne bacterium that usually affects the lungs. There are two related conditions: active TB, which this person has contracted, and latent TB, which occurs when the bacterium is present in the body without causing illness. About 4% of people in the U.S. and 25% of people around the world have latent TB.
There were 9,025 TB cases in the United States in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The TB bacteria usually attack the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body, including the kidney and brain. TB can be fatal if not treated properly, the CDC said.
Talbot, who specializes in infectious disease and international health, will hold a community forum Thursday at 1 p.m. in 105 Dartmouth Hall.
Reed said members of the staff or faculty who have concerns about their health should contact their primary care providers, while students with health concerns related to this issue should call Dartmouth College Health Service at 646-9400 or the state public health team at 271-4496.
