Tuberculosis Exposure Plan

According to the CDC, "It is important to know that a person who is exposed to TB bacteria is not able to spread the bacteria to other people right away. Only persons with active TB disease can spread TB bacteria to others…. Some people develop TB disease soon (within weeks) after becoming infected before their immune system can fight the TB bacteria. Other people may get sick years later when their immune system becomes weak for another reason. Many people with TB infection never develop TB disease."

Students will not be held from clinical experiences unless they have an active TB infection, not TB disease. Active TB is determined using TB screening and confirmation by qualified health care providers/professionals based on symptoms of active TB.

Tuberculosis (TB) exposure potential is defined as any exposure to the exhaled or expired air of a person with suspected or confirmed TB disease. A high hazard procedure involving an individual with suspected or confirmed TB disease is one that has the potential to generate potentially infectious airborne respiratory secretions such as aerosolized medication treatment, bronchoscopy, sputum induction, endotracheal intubation, and suctioning. Workplaces with inherent exposure potential to TB disease: