A case of tuberculosis has been confirmed in Grinnell. Karen Fred of the Grinnell Regional Medical Center says health officials are taking steps to prevent the spread of the disease. She says the public health department has been in contact with anyone who may’ve had close contact with the person and those people are being tested.
Fred says the general public can help by taking some precautions. Fred says use good hygiene, see your doctor if you have a persistent cough. Fred says as a precaution, they’ll try to find all the people who may’ve been around the sick person.
She says unless they have had direct contact with that individual then they’re not at risk. She says even if their skin test comes back positive, that does not mean they have tuberculosis, it means they have the germ and need to be put on medication so they don’t get tuberculosis. Fred says so far there’s only been one case confirmed.