PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — One confirmed case of tuberculosis has been diagnosed in an individual at Lane Middle School, Multnomah County Health officials confirmed.
Officials have not yet confirmed if the infected individual was a student or a staff member at the school. Although the TB case was only recently diagnosed, health officials say the individual was contagious for more than six months — from Sept. 3, 2024, to May 1, 2025.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs. It spreads through close, face-to-face contact with the infected person. It can be treated with medication.
“Fortunately, most people who have had casual contact with a person diagnosed with tuberculosis will not become infected,” said Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno. “And most people who become infected will never become ill with tuberculosis, especially with current medication regimens. While tuberculosis can be spread in school settings, we expect that anyone infected would not yet be ill and could be effectively treated with medication.”
The Multnomah County Health Department has created a frequently asked questions page about TB to help better inform the public about the infection.
The county says they have reached out to those possibly exposed through email.
“The Multnomah County Health Department is working closely with Portland Public Schools, the Multnomah Education and Service District, and leadership at Lane Middle School to take all the necessary public health actions to keep students and staff in the wider community as healthy as possible,” Bruno said.
Officials stressed that it can be really challenging to diagnose.
“This particular individual had symptoms that were kind of mild for a while and got worse. It was eventually diagnosed,” Bruno said during a virtual news conference.
The county’s health department said they investigate up to 30 cases of tuberculosis a year.
Health officials also said most people who have had casual contact with a person diagnosed with tuberculosis will not become infected and don’t think there will be community spread from this case.
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