County health officials: The general public is not at risk from the tuberculosis case at Luther College

The Winneshiek County Health Department is in charge of handling the Luther College student who has been diagnosed with tuberculosis.

The woman--whose name has not been released--is staying on the Luther campus, but does not have a roommate and is not attending class nor eating in the cafeteria.

Nancy Sacquitne from the Health Department says it is "very unlikely" that many other people have potentially been affected.  It takes frequent, prolonged close contact in order to transmit tuberculosis.  For instance, the Center for Disease Control has never reported a case of someone contracting tuberculosis from sharing an airplane ride with an infected person.

People who are infected with tuberculosis--such as the Luther student--are able to recover from tuberculosis by taking medication, usually two types of medication each day.  Winneshiek County Health Department employees will visit with the Luther student each day and supervise the taking of medication.  The Iowa Department of Public Health will pay for the costs of the medication.

Sacquitne estimates that fewer than 20 people on the Luther College campus will be tested for possible exposure to tuberculosis.  The rest of the public will not.  Sacquitne says if you're nt contacted by the Health Department, "you aren't in danger."