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ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst University said Thursday evening it received confirmation earlier in the day that two students tested positive for tuberculosis.
In a statement to employees and students, the school said the students have been isolated and are under medical supervision. The message was attributed to the school’s president, Troy VanAken.
About 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Patch emailed the school’s spokeswoman, Desiree Chen, about reports of TB cases on campus. She said she would look into it.
Shortly before 7 p.m., Chen emailed Patch, “We’ve been advised to refer you to the DuPage County Health Department.”
Around the same time, the school emailed the statement about the TB cases to its thousands of students. Patch obtained the message independently of the university.
In an interview Thursday afternoon, health department spokeswoman Cailyn Eckelberry said she would seek information on the issue.
In the statement, the university said federal privacy laws bar it from releasing more information about the students suffering from TB.
The school said it was in contact with infectious disease specialists at the county health department, which launched a “contact” investigation.
The university said it was arranging free testing on campus with the health department. It is also working to schedule information sessions to answer questions.
TB is caused by a germ and spreads through the air from one person to another when someone is sick with the disease, according to the health department’s website.
The disease commonly infects the lungs, but can infect other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine and brain, the department said.
In the statement, VanAken said that while TB is a potentially serious disease, it is also preventable and treatable.
“In my almost nine years at Elmhurst, it’s been my privilege to see how this community has responded to different challenges we’ve faced,” he said. “Because this situation is unfamiliar to most of us, it’s especially important that we be thoughtful and show care, grace and consideration during this time.”