Johnson County officials want to test IC West students for T-B

Johnson County health officials are asking about three-hundred Iowa City West high school students and staff to be tested for T-B on Tuesday. Johnson County Public Health director Ralph Wilmoth says a student at West High “is suspected of having active tuberculosis.”Wilmoth doesn’t know what symptoms that student is showing, but he says the typical symptoms are fever, a cough and night sweats. Wilmoth says T-B isn’t as rare as you might think.Wilmoth says tuberculosis is on the decline, but it’s not uncommon. He says Johnson County has had about three cases of T-B in each of the last five years. Wilmoth is asking those who came into contact with the ill student to come to West High on Tuesday to be tested. Wilmoth says those who have t-b in their lung or throat can spread the disease with the water droplets “expressed” when they’re talking, coughing, laughing or singing. Wilmoth says just under 300 students and staff have been notified to come in for testing. It’ll take about two days before the test results can be read.