Hudson Valley Student Diagnosed with Tuberculosis

A Hudson Valley student is being treated for a disease that was once the leading cause of death in the United States.

On Thursday, the Westchester County Health Department announced a Monroe College student at the New Rochelle campus was diagnosed with active Tuberculosis (TB).

The Westchester County Health Department, working closely with Monroe College, has identified and notified those students and faculty who were exposed. The health department is also offering free evaluation and testing.

Tuberculosis is an infection that usually causes a cough and fever. It spreads through the air when a person with active TB coughs or sneezes. A long period of close contact with an infected person is usually required for tuberculosis to be transmitted. TB was once the leading cause of death in the United States, officials say.

In 2018, Westchester County had the second highest case rate of residents with TB outside of New York City, according to the New York State Department of Health. Last year, cases of active TB were identified in Westchester residents who ranged in age from 8 to 81 years old.

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According to the Westchester County Health Department, people who are newly infected with the TB bacteria do not feel sick and cannot spread it, but they may develop the disease in the future. People can take medicine to prevent the TB disease if they are infected by haven't gotten sick yet.