El Paso health officials: 71 people positive for TB, none believed to be active

By Aaron Martinez / El Paso Times / POSTED: 07/14/2015 01:18:28 PM MDT

No active tuberculosis cases have been found in the two recent incidents of exposure to the disease in El Paso County, although 71 people have tested positive for TB, health officials said today.

El Paso Department of Public Health officials are still investigating the incidents at Frank Macias Elementary School and at a Lower Valley halfway house.

The TB investigation began on June 15 at the Clint Independent School District elementary school after a person associated with school was diagnosed with the disease. In an unrelated investigation, health officials also tested residents and staff members at the Dismas Charities starting on July 6 after being notified that a person associated with the halfway house tested positive for TB.

Neither person has been identified.

With active TB, people become sick and the immune system can't stop it from growing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Inactive TB, also known as latent TB, is when patients don't become ill and their bodies are able to fight the bacteria.

Frank Macias Elementary

The testing at the school focused on second grade students and teachers and staff who work with them.

Officials first believed 163 students and eight employees had been exposed to TB. Only five students have not been tested, and health officials are urging parents to have them tested immediately.

Of those tested, 38 resulted in positive TB cases, though none are considered active. Two tests are still pending results, officials said.

The department expanded its investigation on July 8 after the positive results came back, officials said. In phase two of the investigation, an additional 15 students and 76 staff members were tested.

Positive results came back on 13 of those cases, and five results are still pending, officials said.

Students and staff who tested positive are now undergoing chest x-rays and sputum smears or blood cultures to check if they have active TB.

Officials said they believe those results will return negative for active TB since none of the patients are showing signs of the disease.

Dismas Charities

Health officials have also tested 137 residents and 38 staff members suspected of being exposed to TB at the Dismas Charities at 7011 Alameda Ave.

So far, 20 people have tested positive for TB, officials said, and six others still need to be tested.

The department is also looking for an additional 36 former residents who may have been exposed to the disease.

According to department officials, there were 44 cases of TB in the El Paso area in 2014. Fifty-five TB cases were reported in 2013, while 38 cases were identified in 2012.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at 546-6249.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_2...-none-believed