Update on TB Exposure in Sachem School District

The Sachem School District has reported that 116 students and seven staff members were identified as having close contact with a student diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). Testing was offered on Monday at the school’s East Campus, where the Suffolk County Health Department administered TB skin tests. Typically, results from these tests take about 48 hours to become available.

As of now, no new cases have been confirmed within the school community, although the investigation is still underway.

Parents are expressing their concerns, calling for more information and transparency from both school and health officials. “What’s being done to ensure the safety of the kids when we, as parents or guardians, send them to school?” questioned Janie Gallo, a Farmingville parent.

Tuberculosis is a potentially serious bacterial infection mainly affecting the lungs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TB can spread through the air when someone with active TB coughs, sneezes, or talks. Symptoms can include a chronic cough, chest pain, fatigue, and fever.

The New York State Department of Health has reported 16 confirmed TB cases in Suffolk County and 18 in Nassau County this year, which aligns with the data from the same period last year.

Health officials have indicated that those who were tested this week will need to undergo further testing in July, following the usual two-month incubation period for TB.