TB testing clinic opened Monday at the U of S

Tuberculosis bacteria is seen under the high magnification of a scanning electron microscope in this image made available by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Testing of nearly 600 students at the University of Saskatchewan for tuberculosis is underway. It started Monday in the Education building on campus.

The students have been asked to undergo the tests after one of their classmates was diagnosed with active TB last week. The unnamed student is getting treatment, and health officials say the student is doing fine.

Tuberculosis can be spread through the air, so those who shared classes with the affected student are being asked to get the test.

“Because we don’t know which students may be more at risk than others,” said Dr. Julie Kryzanowski with the Saskatoon Health Region, “we’re offering skin tests to all students who were in the same classes.”

The testing clinic will be held until Thursday, and results should be available by the end of the week.

Health officials say the risk is low, but it is possible someone could get infected with the TB bacteria. If they are, they have about a 10per cent chance of developing the disease during their lifetime.

Tuberculosis can be cured with a regimen of antibiotics over a period of about six months.