Virginia: High School TB Tests Speeded, Expanded

In Richmond, Va., about 30 of the 150 Douglas S. Freeman High School students checked for TB infection have tested positive, and health officials have expanded and hurried a second round of tests. Although there has been only one case of TB disease, health officials said the high proportion of infected students adds urgency. An additional 250 students are to be tested beginning today, bringing to 25 percent the number of Freeman students tested. Athletics and Activities Director Jim Sangston said sports participation has begun to suffer: Several parents of children from other schools, citing concern for the students' well-being, have not allowed their children to compete against Freeman teams, causing the cancellation of last Friday night's basketball game against John Marshall High School. "There's no danger associated with sporting events," said Dr. Curtis Thorpe, director of the Henrico County Health Department. "We have no other case of activated tuberculosis [disease] in the school."

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