TAMPA, FL -- On top of the swine flu outbreak that has closed three Hillsborough County schools, county health officials have also confirmed a case of tuberculosis at Armwood High School.
Steve Huard with the Hillsborough County Health Department would not say if the person who came down with TB is a student or a member of the staff. The person is being treated and doesn't pose a health risk.
The school sent a letter to all students and staff, and anyone who could have been exposed has been identified and is being tested for TB.
Tuberculosis is spread through the air from prolonged close exposure in a poorly ventilated area to a person with TB lung disease.
In 2008, 5 people per every 100,000 have come down with the disease and in Hillsborough County its 5.7. Those numbers represent declining rates for tuberculosis, officials said.
