WHITEHALL, Ohio — Columbus Public Health officials were notified of a tuberculosis case at Whitehall-Yearling High School. The health agency said it is working with the school district to conduct contact tracing. All potential contacts will be notified and offered free testing, health officials said.

Health officials have said the risk to the public is low from the current tuberculosis, or TB, outbreak among dozens of people in eastern Kansas. However, most people should worry about respiratory viruses that tend to peak at this time of year,

The endTB trial is one of four recent randomized controlled trials testing new, shorter, and less toxic treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB. The trials are using two fairly new drugs— bedaquiline and delamanid. The medicines were first brought to the market in 2012 and 2013 and were the first new medications for TB in almost 50 years.

Scientists have discovered three powerful new drug regimens that offer more effective treatment for tuberculosis—bringing fresh hope to millions worldwide.

There is a vaccine aimed at preventing TB called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), but it’s not commonly used in the U.S., according to the CDC. However, many people born outside the U.S. have gotten the vaccine.

Healthline also offers the following tips for preventing TB infections: Wash your hands often and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly to keep your immune system strong.

Tuberculosis spreads through germs released when a person with TB in their lungs coughs, speaks or sings. These bacteria can stay in the air for prolonged periods of time and are more likely to spread to other people indoors and in poorly-ventilated spaces.

“While TB cases in Wyandotte and Johnson counties are getting attention, we want to assure our residents that what we’re seeing in Saline County is normal,” said Jason Tiller, Saline County Health Officer. “There is no immediate reason for concern. TB is preventable, treatable, and does not pose a general risk to the public.”

An ongoing tuberculosis outbreak in the Kansas City, Kansas, area is posing a low risk to the general public, state officials said this week.

A yearlong outbreak of tuberculosis in the Kansas City, Kansas area has taken local experts aback, even if it does not appear to be the largest outbreak of the disease in U.S. history as a state healt

A wave of tuberculosis cases hitting the Kansas City, Kansas, metro area has caused dozens of illnesses and at least two deaths, according to the state health department.