News Release

Grand Forks, ND – The Grand Forks Public Health Department in conjunction with Grand Forks School District have conducted Tuberculosis (TB) Skin Tests of 55 students and staff at Phoenix Elementary on Tuesday, Nov. 13th.

52 tests were reviewed today at Phoenix Elementary. 51 of the 52 tests read today were normal and 1 had an abnormal result. The 1 abnormal result is a member of the staff and they were referred to their healthcare provider for further testing. All students reviewed today were negative.

An abnormal test does NOT mean that individual is infectious with TB. An abnormal test result means than an individual has been exposed to TB and that further testing is needed. Those with abnormal test results will be excluded from school until there are cleared by a healthcare professional.

Only those that were determined to have close contact with the 2 students with active TB were asked to get a TB Skin Test.

Testing was also done on Wednesday Nov. 14th at Phoenix Elementary. Those tests will be reviewed on Friday, Nov. 16th. Once those results are known a separate release will be sent.

Tuberculosis is a disease that is spread from person to person through the air when someone with TB has coughed or sneezed. TB is a fragile disease and you must have very close contact in a small space with the infected person in order to come down with TB. You cannot get TB from someone's clothes, drinking glass, eating utensils, handshake, toilet, or other surface. You also can't get TB on the playground, hallway, in a shopping mall, restaurant, or through other casual contact.


For more information on TB in Grand Forks County call Grand Forks Public Health at (701) 787-8100 or log on to www.grandforksgov.com/publichealth.