Massachusetts

UMass Boston Notifies Community About Tuberculosis Diagnosis

The University of Massachusetts in Boston confirmed Monday night that a person on campus had been diagnosed with active tuberculosis.

Robert Pomales, the director of the university's health services department, said in a letter to students that the patient may have had close contact with approximately 59 other people on campus.

Pomales noted that the patient may have been infected with tuberculosis for years before developing the active infection.

"Although TB is a serious disease caused by a germ that is spread through the air, it is important to note that the general UMass Boston community is not at increased risk for getting a TB infection as a result of this case," Pomales wrote.

The email cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying tuberculosis bacteria spread through an infected person coughing, speaking or singing. The illness affects the lungs and throat and is not easily passed from person to person, according to the email.

To learn more about tuberculosis, click here.

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