TB Case at Brooklyn Elementary School

The Department of Eduction confirmed that there is a case of tuberculosis at P.S. 25 in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Apparently a paraprofessional (like a teacher's aide) was diagnosed and students are being tested "as a precautionary measure." The school is not being closed.

While the DOE claims they told parents quickly--they found out about the case in early June, then told the Department of Health, which held a meeting with parents on June 11--some parents are upset. One mother, Tawanda Murray, told WCBS 2, "It's scary. They're just telling us. That's terrible, real terrible... It's scary. I can't even send my daughter to school from this point on because I'm just scared that it can infect my whole family."

As described by the CDC, tuberculosis bacteria "usually attack the lungs" but they can also "attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain." The disease, which is transmitted through the air from one person to another, can be fatal if not treated properly. "However, not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick." Here's the NYC Health Department on TB.