Barrington parents alerted after student contracts TB

Barrington High School is taking precautions after one of its students was diagnosed with tuberculosis.

Barrington Area Unit District 220 Superintendent Tom Leonard said school officials are alerting parents to the diagnosis as a precaution, even though they do not believe the student body or staff are at risk to exposure.

"There is no epidemic or anything of that nature," Leonard said.

No specific information was released on the student, who will remain out of the classroom until getting the OK from the Lake County Public Health Department, Leonard said.

The student is expected to make a full recovery.

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by bacteria that spread from person to person through the air. It usually affects the lungs.

After examining the lists of all students and staff that have been in close enough proximity to be at risk of infection, Leonard said the district contacted 28 people.

All of those individuals have been personally notified by the school's nursing staff and are being tested as required by the Lake County Health Department, Leonard said.

Since Thursday and today are institute days, Leonard said no students are in school.

But he said the health department did not require those 28 people to remain out of school while they await test results.

Leonard said parents were alerted to the incident as a way to be proactive and educate the community on what the illness is.

"We are trying to be ahead of the rumor mill," Leonard said.

Parents of students with underlying health problems who would like to discuss the issue are urged to contact the high school health office at (847) 842-3288.

For more information on tuberculosis, visit cdc.gov/tb/pubs/tbfactsheets/tb.htm.