A Towson University student has been treated for tuberculosis in the second case of the disease there this school year, officials said Thursday.

This marks the first time in at least a decade that more than one TB case has occurred at Towson in a school year, said Carol Dunsworth, a university spokeswoman.

“There’s no cause for alarm because these two cases are completely unrelated,” said Pierre N.D. Vigilance, Baltimore County health officer. He stressed frequent hand-washing and covering coughs to reduce transmission.

This latest infected student will be “isolated away from campus” and avoiding classes, as he or she undergoes testing and treatment, said Dunsworth, who declined to reveal the student’s gender or year. Other students who have come in contact with the infected student have already been contacted and tested, she added.

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This latest patient lives off-campus, but a Towson student diagnosed with TB in September lived on-campus.

In the fall, the university sent e-mails to alert students about the first TB case, but the second “exposure was so limited,” the school did not do that this time, Dunsworth said. She did, however, contact the campus newspaper.

“Considering tuberculosis is a pretty serious disease, it would have been nice to get an e-mail,” said Jenny Haley, Student Government Association president.

TB is a highly contagious disease caused by bacteria that attacks the lungs, said officials, who added that a person needs to be in close contact for an extended amount of time to become infected.

Last month, Howard County schools offered tuberculosis tests to 50 children who rode the same bus as a Hammond High School student who contracted the disease.

TB symptoms

» A bad cough that lasts longer than two weeks

» Chest pain

» Coughing up blood or phlegm

» Weakness and fatigue

» Weight loss

» Chills, fever, night sweats

Source: Baltimore County Health Department

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com