TB Identified at New York School

Health officials have confirmed a case of tuberculosis at Commack High School on Long Island, N.Y., MyFoxNY reported.

The Health Department said the unidentified person is receiving treatment, and all employees and parents at the school have been sent letters notifying them of the issue.

TB is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs and can be spread by a sneeze or cough, though health officials insist there is not a big risk of transmission.

Symptoms include coughing up blood and night sweats lasting as long as three weeks.

This latest case comes on the heels of a recent statement from the World Health Organization Tuesday saying that the number of TB cases worldwide had declined for the first time.

In 2010, 8.8 million people contracted TB and 1.4 million died, both marking a notable decline compared to years prior, the United Nations agency said.

Globally, the TB death rate fell 40 percent in 2010 compared to 1990, and all regions except Africa were on track to reach a 50 percent mortality decline by 2015.

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