With the tuberculosis scares in Ellis and Denton counties, what is Keller ISD doing to watch for the spread of the disease among our students?
Keller ISD has processes and procedures in place in case its Health Services employees detect or are alerted by Texas Department of State Health Services to the presence of communicable disease among students or staff.
Common symptoms of tuberculosis are a gradual onset of fatigue, anorexia, fever, failure to gain weight, and cough. The disease can be spread when a person with active tuberculosis disease in their lungs coughs, sneezes, or talks. It is usually only moderately infectious and usually requires prolonged exposure in an enclosed space to spread. Tuberculosis is usually treatable and curable with modern antibiotics.
Click to learn more about tuberculosis.
Student safety is Keller ISD’s top priority. School nurses follow communicable disease exclusion and reporting guidelines as outlined by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Keller ISD’s Director of Health Services is directly alerted by the Tarrant County Public Health Epidemiology Department of any concerns regarding reportable communicable diseases impacting our students and staff.
Keller ISD is also proactive in attempting to prevent or decrease the spread of any communicable diseases. This includes nurses routinely educating students and staff on proper hand washing techniques and “cover-your-cough” etiquette. Campus ventilation systems are designed to dilute and remove contaminated air by using general ventilation, and all district HVAC systems use anti-microbial, anti-bacterial MERV 8 filters that are changed on a regular preventative maintenance schedule. The District also sanitizes and disinfects with hospital quality procedures and disinfectants to mitigate the spread of all infectious diseases.