Tuberculosis scare concerns Nyack parents

Parents in Rockland County are on alert after being notified about a tuberculosis scare at two schools in Nyack. Health officials say a number of students at Nyack Middle School and Liberty Elementary

News 12 Staff

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Mar 25, 2016, 1:34 AM

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Updated 3,345 days ago

Parents in Rockland County are on alert after being notified about a tuberculosis scare at two schools in Nyack.

Health officials say a number of students at Nyack Middle School and Liberty Elementary School were possibly exposed to someone with the deadly disease.

Because of privacy laws, details regarding where and how the exposure happened could not be made public, but as many as 50 students may have come into contact with the carrier, according to one estimate.

The tuberculosis bacteria is spread when someone with an active case of the disease coughs or sneezes.

A letter sent to parents says an undisclosed number of students had contact with the person outside of the schools. The letter does not say exactly how many people were exposed or where.

Parents were told that those who were exposed to the virus have been advised to be tested. It does not say if any of the children have been advised to receive preventive treatment.

The letter goes on to state that those students who were not exposed to the infected person are not in any immediate danger, and do not need to be tested.

According to the Rockland County Department of Health, the tuberculosis bacteria survives in the environment for only a few hours, and that there should not be any further spread of the disease.