CCSD schools under tuberculosis investigation from health district

A tuberculosis investigation is underway involving a person with an active infection who was on 26 Clark County School District campuses and one training site before learning of their diagnosis.

The Southern Nevada Health District announced the investigation Thursday night and released a list of affected schools Friday.

People identified as close contacts of the patient are being notified, the health district said.

Individual notifications are happening at 17 campuses for possible exposures, and a “broader exposure notification” is occurring at Deskin Elementary School, the health district said.

In addition to Deskin Elementary, school campuses involved in the investigation are: Bruner Elementary, Carl Elementary, Centennial High, Cheyenne High, Darnell Elementary, Goynes Elementary, Guy Elementary, Kahre Elementary, Katz Elementary, Leavitt Middle School, Lied Middle School, May Elementary, Neal Elementary, O’Roarke Elementary, Saville Middle School, Tobler Elementary, Triggs Elementary and the school district training site.

The health district said at this point, there were no exposures identified at eight campuses. Those schools are: Allen, Conners, Eisenberg, Fong, McMillan, Priest, Scherkenbach and Tarr elementary schools.

The school district said in a statement Friday that it is assisting the Southern Nevada Health District with “a tuberculosis investigation involving multiple locations.”

“The SNHD is the lead investigator involving communicable diseases,” according to the statement. “If an individual is not feeling well, please follow up with your local healthcare practitioner or contact the SNHD for further guidance.”

Late Friday night, the Las Vegas Review-Journal received a copy of letters sent Thursday to parents of students at Centennial High School and Leavitt Middle School.

Each letter said the school had an individual who was diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis, and that the health district would determine any close contacts who might need to be tested for TB.

Earlier, the district didn’t respond to a Review-Journal request for a copy of letters sent to parents regarding the investigation, a list of affected schools and whether there are any tuberculosis testing requirements for employees.

Parent Brandi Hecht said she received an email Thursday about the TB investigation from the principal at Fong Elementary School, where her 8-year-old daughter is enrolled.

“Having a special education child, that makes me a little nervous, especially with how sick she’s been,” she said.

Hecht said her daughter has been sick for two weeks and has a cough she can’t get rid of, noting nothing — including breathing treatments — has helped.

She said she called the health department Friday and then her daughter’s pediatrician office, who advised undergoing testing if she’s not better by Monday or taking her to an emergency room if her condition worsens.

The email to Fong parents noted that the Southern Nevada Health District conducted a TB investigation, but determined that no one at the school is considered a close contact.

The email included links to educational materials about tuberculosis and advised that if someone isn’t feeling well, they should contact their health care provider or the health district.

Active TB is a serious disease. However, the health district is emphasizing that not everyone who may have been exposed will be infected and not everyone who is infected with TB has active disease.

Symptoms can include coughing that lasts at least two weeks, chest pain, coughing up blood or phlegm, weakness or fatigue, weight loss, chills, fever, night sweats and loss of appetite, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

Nationwide, 8,331 TB cases were reported in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And up to 13 million people are estimated to have a latent infection, meaning they don’t have symptoms and aren’t contagious.

TB screening and testing are provided to identify cases of latent infection.

The health district says it is committed to conducting immediate and thorough investigations of all known active TB cases as they are reported, with the goal of identifying individuals at risk of exposure.

Treatment is provided for people who are exposed and found to have a TB infection to prevent the development of active disease and avoid future exposures in the community.

The health district has an information line for people who may have questions. It can be reached Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 702-759-INFO (4636) or 866-767-5038.

A similar TB investigation was conducted last month at Palo Verde High School.

A previous version of this story misidentified Leavitt Middle School.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com. Follow @julieswootton on X.