Harris County officials to carry TB tests on Galena Park students

By Margarita Snegireva. Harris County health officials will test 175 Galena Park students for tuberculosis next week after a teenager with was diagnosed with the infectious disease in December.

Photo: Harris County officials to carry TB tests on Galena Park students

Administrators at North Shore High School sent packets home with the students Monday notifying their parents of the skin test and requesting their consent. County officials will return next Wednesday to read the results.

Tuberculosis is diagnosed by finding Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in a clinical specimen taken from the patient. While other investigations may strongly suggest tuberculosis as the diagnosis, they cannot confirm it.

A complete medical evaluation for tuberculosis (TB) must include a medical history, a physical examination, a chest X-ray and microbiological examination (of sputum or some other appropriate sample). It may also include a tuberculin skin test, other scans and X-rays, surgical biopsy.