Fairfax Health Officials Investigate Tuberculosis Cases at Lee High School

A tuberculosis incident at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield has prompted an investigation by the Fairfax County Health department. 

“We are looking for folks in the schools who may have been exposed,” said Gloria Addo-Ayensu, director of health for Fairfax County in a press conference Thursday afternoon.

Up to 400 people have been identified as having contact with the infected persons. Those people will be tested at special clinics that the health department has set up starting tomorrow and into next week, said Glen Barbour, public safety information officer with the health department.

“The health department is communicating directly with the individuals. There’s no direct action that the community at large needs to take,” Barbour said, adding everyone the department believes to be at risk has already been contacted..

The cases of the disease were found this month following a case reported in December.

“The December case was investigated in December and it was concluded. It was only when these two cases were identified this month that this case was reopened to see if they were connected,” Barbour said.  

Tuberculosis is a disease is spread from person to person through the air, according to the Virginia Department of Health’s website. Symptoms include weight loss, coughing, feeling weak, chest pain, and fever.

Fairfax County’s health department typically investigates between 80-100 cases of tuberculosis in the county each year. Last year, two of those cases were in Fairfax County Public Schools, Barbour said.

Anyone with questions is urged to call the health department at 703‐246‐2411 TTY 711 orwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/comdis/tb.htm.