The preliminary results of the tuberculosis (TB) testing students in Hitzeman Residence Hall were advised to undergo look promising: none of the students who had their tuberculin skin tests read yesterday are infected with the disease.

“About 15 percent of the students had shown up by early afternoon to have their tests read,” said Dr. Alan Glass, director of Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS). “All of them were negative.”

SHCS sent the e-mail advisory on Monday in the wake of information that a Washington University student who resided in the dorm is infected with TB. He is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Because the TB test must be read 48-72 hours after it is conducted, yesterday afternoon was the earliest students could return to SHCS for results. Although no additional data was available at the end of the day, Glass said he “would imagine more students came in” before closing.

As of yesterday, only 22 of the 150 students who received the notice had not received the preliminary testing. While Glass described this turnaround as “really good,” he is taking steps to ensure that the remaining students at least consider being tested.

“I sent an e-mail to all the informed students this afternoon encouraging the few who haven’t had their tests placed to come in… and also a reminder email to the students who were tested that they need to have that test read,” Glass said.

Many Hitzeman residents were tested during the on-site tests performed by SHCS employees in the dorm all day Tuesday. Glass is confident that a large portion of the students who have not yet been tested will go to SHCS offices to do so.

During a tuberculin skin test, tuberculosis antigens (not entire TB bacterial cells) are injected under the top layer of skin on the arm. If a person has previously been exposed to TB bacteria, a reaction to the TB antigens will develop within two days, generally in the form of a firm red bump at the injection site.

However, while a positive test result means a person has been exposed to TB, it does not mean s/he has TB disease. If the person does not exhibit any symptoms-such as fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite and chest pains-the TB germs present in the body are likely in an “inactive” state where they can do no harm.

“If a person’s skin test converts to positive there’s actually medication available that we would encourage the student to take,” Glass said. “That medication keeps the TB exposure from turning into active TB, and we would make it available to the student.”

Glass, in conjunction with the St. Louis County Department of Health, is still trying to discern how the University student became infected with TB. Part of the investigation, he said, will involve “further discussions with the student.”

At this time, Glass is uncertain when the student will return to the University.

“Case to case it would be really variable as to how long the treatment would take. I haven’t heard anything about that yet,” he said.

Though casual contact with a TB patient is incredibly unlikely to lead to another student’s contracting the disease, SHCS is still offering free tests for any student at the University.

“There’s usually a charge for it,” Glass said. “But we’ve waived that in this situation.”

There is no deadline limiting when students can take advantage of the free testing.

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