To the Editor:

Your editorial, “The Silent Treatment,” indicated that tuberculosis can be spread by “just speaking” to a person with TB.

We simply would like to take this opportunity to ensure the accuracy of information about TB.

Exposure to a person with active disease must be close and prolonged for others to become infected with this germ.

With regard to the recent case at American River College (ARC), there was only one infectious person who was immediately isolated and treated and ARC officials followed appropriate testing protocols to protect all students and staff.

Furthermore, ARC administration did, in fact, directly contact those students and staff who were possibly exposed to the germ as soon as those students and staff were identified by Sacramento County Public Health.

Laura McCasland                                                                                                                                                                   Communication and Media Officer                                                                                                                                           Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services