07/02/2012 4:00p.m.
Alabama Department of Public Health has confirmed that all 39 people tested on campus for tuberculosis have negative results.
Pam Barret, director of the Division of Tuberculosis Control said that it is a good sign.
"We are still waiting on a few others to come in from across the state, but this looks good."
Barret said some of the people that came in contact have not been tested, but they expect to reach those people within the next week.
"It is important to remember that all these people must be re-tested in 10 weeks." Barret said. "However we are hopeful that no more cases will pop up."
The Alabama Department of Public Health informed the Auburn University Medical Clinic on Wednesday, June 28, that a student was diagnosed with active tuberculosis, commonly known as TB, earlier in the week.
Medical Director Dr. Fred Kam said, "The individual in question is already on treatment and has been asked to stay at home."
Kam said the "voluntary quarantine" of the patient with TB is an appropriate measure at the moment because a full quarantine in a hospital is not necessary yet.
"Chances are, if the individual had possibly passed it on to anybody, it would be the whole situation," said Kam. "Keeping them out of that doesn't make sense."
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that typically attacks the lungs. It is spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs and transmits saliva through the air. Symptoms include chronic cough, fever, night sweats, and weight loss.
The AU Medical Clinic is urging anyone experiencing symptoms to come in for testing or to see a local physician as soon as possible. Testing usually includes a shot or chest X-ray.
The AU Medical Clinic is located at 400 Lem Morrison Dr. on campus. For more information, contact the AU Medical Clinic at (334)844-4416 or auburn.edu/aumc/contact.
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