Tuberculosis on the rise
© 2008 The Associated Press
July 30, 2008, 4:30AM
ANGLETON, Texas — At least 15 people are being treated for tuberculosis by the Brazoria County Health Department -- double the number of cases it has treated in recent years.

County spokeswoman Marie Beth Jones says as many as 90 people may have been exposed to the disease. She says they're being administered skin tests to determine whether they have T-B.

The Houston Chronicle reports a state health official, however, says there's no cause for alarm.

William Ayres, a spokesman for the Department of State Health Services in Austin, says it's not an extraordinary increase in cases.

People with tuberculosis may experience coughing, fever and weight loss from the disease which is spread from person-to-person through the air.



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5914933.html