TB case reported on USF campus
A case of tuberculosis has been confirmed on the USF Tampa campus, according to an email sent to students Tuesday morning by Dean for Students Michael Freeman.
The email states the affected student is being treated in isolation by the Hillsborough County Health Department TB unit. Ninety students were reported to be at risk of exposure, and have been notified by the county health department to be tested.
“Given USF’s population of more than 40,000 and the number of TB cases reported annually in Hillsborough County, the occurrence is not out of the statistical norm … The last case of TB on campus was in May of 2012 and appears to be unrelated to the current incidence,” the email stated.
TB is an airborne disease that affects the lungs and can cause serious illness. According to the emailed statement, TB is spread when an infected person repeatedly coughs, talks, or sneezes untreated TB germs into the air and only persons who have had very close, day-to-day, contact with the infected person run the risk of contracting the disease.
If concerned, students may call the Student Health Services nurse line at 813-974-1797.
— Staff report
More Stories
Emergency alert test to go out today – Here’s how to avoid midterm distractions
For those of you with a midterm on Wednesday afternoon, a different kind of test is also coming your way. The Federal Emergency Management System (FEMA) will be sending out a national message to test the Integrated Public Alert and Warning Systems (IPAWS). The alert will sound similar to an Amber Alert or National Weather […]
Low voter turnout for SG elections mirror national trends
For sophomore biomedical science major Kayla Milcette, voting for Student Government (SG) is an opportunity to have her voice heard. “I voted because I felt like it’s important to have a group of students who share the same values as you lead,” Milcette said. USF SG elections occur twice a year – in October for […]
How have body cams impacted USF? UP representative weighs in
Following the implementation of body cams for its officers in August, UP Public Information Representative Michael Lavelle said they have helped provide an unbiased viewpoint of officer-student interactions on campus. Lavelle said every “sworn employee” received a body cam, which totals 47 officers at the Tampa campus and 17 at St. Pete. UP has a […]
ULS events reduced to one per semester to improve attendance
Campus Activities Board (CAB) is now hosting one University Lecture Series (ULS) speaker – instead of the usual two – each semester this academic year in order to bring more recognizable names to USF, CAB coordinator Hannah Sutherland said. Sutherland said low ULS attendance last year sparked the decision to make a change. She said […]
Construction for displaced recreational facilities to be completed by next fall
The relocation plan for the various student recreational facilities that will be displaced by the construction of the planned on-campus football stadium will be completed by August 2024. The stadium, which does not have an established construction date, will be built on what is currently the Sycamore Fields in the northeast corner of campus in […]
Students voice concerns about relocation of Sycamore Fields Complex
Sophomore business analytics major Ashley Meinhold uses Sycamore fields to play soccer with her friends on the weekends. Meinhold, who lives in the Village, would have to walk an additional half mile to exercise when the field is relocated due to the construction of the on-campus stadium. She said the extra 10-minute-walk would deter her […]