Student Health Center

Public health experts consider TB a manageable disease, and the risk to the broader campus population is generally low. Individuals identified as having potential exposure will be contacted directly.

The university is committed to transparency and providing accurate health information while protecting individual privacy. This notification is intended to keep the campus informed and address questions that may arise.

Federal and state privacy laws, including HIPAA and FERPA where applicable, prevent the university from releasing identifying information.

TB is a disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It most commonly affects the lungs but can affect other parts of the body.

TB can spread through the air when a person with active pulmonary TB coughs, speaks, sings, or sneezes. It is not spread through casual contact such as handshakes, sharing food, touching surfaces, or sitting briefly near someone.

TB generally requires prolonged, close contact for transmission. Unlike influenza or other respiratory illnesses, it does not typically spread through brief encounters.

Symptoms may include:

• Persistent cough lasting three weeks or more
• Chest pain
• Coughing up blood
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss

Most campus community members are unlikely to be at risk. Public health officials conduct a detailed contact investigation to identify individuals who may have experienced significant exposure.

Generally, close contacts are individuals who spent extended periods of time in indoor environments with someone who had infectious TB. Public health officials determine who meets this definition.

Not necessarily. Public health experts evaluate factors such as duration of contact, ventilation, and the infectiousness of the individual before determining who requires testing.

Individuals identified through the contact investigation will be contacted directly and provided instructions regarding screening and testing.

In most situations, individuals who are not identified as contacts do not require testing or other actions.

More information about tuberculosis can be found on the Texas Health and Human Services website.