More money sought for TB testing in Fort Bend County after high school outbreak

Fort Bend County commissioners agreed Tuesday to allocate $37,000 in additional county funds for tuberculosis testing, as an outbreak at a local high school remains under investigation by the health department.

Select students and staff at George Bush High School in Fort Bend ISD were asked to come to county health offices this week to complete the first round of TB testing, said Yaneth Calderon, a public health information specialist.

A second round of testing, to ensure the disease has not been growing in anyone undetected since the first test, is scheduled to commence Aug. 3.

Four confirmed cases at the school initially prompted the investigation starting in mid-June. As of June 29, 10 cases had been confirmed.

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Still, only about 225 of more than 600 people showed up after the initial requests for evaluation. The push for the first round of testing has continued, with classes set to resume at the school Aug. 22.

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The additional funds cleared Tuesday -- $30,000 for fees, $5,000 for supplies and operating and $2,000 for travel -- will help replenish the county TB testing budget, which is running low as the effort continues, Calderon said.

The budget initially included a $137,397 state grant and a $99,186 federal grant, which together cover three positions and contractual work for X-rays and CT scans.

Overall, the clinical health services budget for the current fiscal year was $559,832. Decreasing the occurrence of new TB cases was one of four goals listed for the department. The number of people with active TB was 19 in 2015 and 22 last year.

"It's a public health issue," Calderon said. "School is such a big setting. Kids go everywhere. We could have a bigger outbreak on our hands if they don't come in and get that medicine that they need."

Fort Bend County Commissioners signed off on the extra funding at a regular meeting Tuesday. It will be transferred from a set-aside contingency fund.

Around 2,200 students attended the school in the 2015-16 school year, according to Texas Education Agency statistics.

TB primarily affects the lungs. It does not usually cause symptoms and become contagious, but about 10 percent of infections progress to active disease, which can be fatal. Treatment for active TB involves the use of antibiotics for as long as two years, though the duration usually is nine to 15 months.

"Bottom line is we need to figure out who's infected," Calderon said.