For appointments or medical questions please call
260-982-5306.

The Indiana State Department of Health has determined that the Manchester College student diagnosed with active tuberculosis no longer is contagious and may return to campus. The student has resumed classes and activities. No additional cases of contagious, active TB have been identified at Manchester College and no further cases are expected.

Closely following protocol of the state Health Department, the College conducted Mantoux tuberculin skin tests on 201 persons identified by investigators as possibly at-risk, and another 51 persons who requested the tests. Eleven of those persons had positive skin tests. Further testing determined those individuals do not have active TB. Those 11 persons are receiving treatment for latent TB, which is not infectious.

Contact information for further specific inquiries:

The following provides an  update on the outreach, testing, and education

at Manchester College.

What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis or TB is a highly curable and preventable bacterial disease, caused by a germ breathed into the lungs. Active tuberculosis or “tuberculosis disease” is characterized by abnormalities in the lungs. Tuberculosis is spread through the air, via repeated exposure to an active TB carrier’s coughing and sneezing. Diagnosis of “active TB” means the patient is showing the symptoms and is contagious.

What if I had a positive TB skin test?

Most likely, it means you have non-infectious latent tuberculosis: You have the TB germ in your body (usually lungs) but it is not contagious; you cannot spread TB infection to others. Wearing a mask, for example, is not necessary.  Persons with latent TB have a significant reaction to the Mantoux skin test with no symptoms of tuberculosis, and no TB organisms in their sputum. To spread TB germs, a person must have active TB disease. Tuberculosis may last for a lifetime as an infection, never developing into contagious TB disease. Preventive therapy with anti-TB drugs may be prescribed for persons with latent TB.  For more about Latent TB click here for a Centers for Disease Control fact sheet.

How many Manchester College students are confirmed to have active TB?
One. One Manchester student is undergoing treatment for active TB, but is no longer contagious. The College medical director discovered the suspected case following a chest X-ray of the student. The College immediately isolated the student off campus. Investigators from the Indiana State Department of Health visited campus and called for continued isolation of the student, and treatment for active TB. The Indiana State Department of Health is working closely with both the Wabash County Health Department and Manchester College. 

Video of MC forums with Indiana TB Control Director

State and county health officials presented TB Forums for students and employees on campus that included Q & A sessions. A video of one of the forums is available in Funderburg Library on campus.

Who is being screened for tuberculosis exposure?
Although TB is an infectious disease, the possibility of spreading it through casual contact is low. Manchester College is following the testing protocols of the Indiana State Department of Health, which recommended the College test the student's close contacts; those in the student’s classes; co-workers and others with whom the student had regular and prolonged close contact; and those with chronic health concerns. Those persons have been tested.

The College has provided the Mantoux test – a quick skin test with a small needle – to all persons the Indiana State Department of Health has recommended receive it, free of charge. Again, those persons have been notified by the College. Results are known within 48-72 hours, when the individual returns to have the nurse read the test. Those persons will need to be re-tested within 8-10 weeks and have received information about the re-testing schedule.

In addition to those who have come in close contact with the student, health officials advised the College to test members of the campus community with chronic health and immune deficiencies.    

Others who want the test should contact Health Services, x5306, to discuss your risk. The College is following well-established protocol of the Centers for Disease Control, under the close guidance of state and regional TB experts who are very knowledgeable of our case.

Are Manchester College students screened for tuberculosis?
Prior to matriculating, every Manchester College student must present proof of tuberculosis screening, using forms and protocols developed by the Indiana State Department of Health. Fully 100 percent of Manchester College students have been tested for TB. The Manchester College student with active TB tested negative for the disease before attending the College.

Why doesn’t Manchester College require a tuberculosis vaccine? Do other colleges?
While the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is used in many countries with a high prevalence of TB, it is not generally recommended for use in the United States except for very select persons who meet specific criteria. People who have had BCG vaccine can still get TB infection, and many still get active TB disease. Some international students who come to college in the United States have been vaccinated, but the majority of domestic students have not. More information about the BCG vaccine is available on the website of the Centers for Disease Control.

What are the clinical signs of tuberculosis?
The most common symptoms of TB disease are coughing, fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness, night sweats and feeling very tired. No single symptom would likely trigger the need for TB-specific testing. Rather, a clinician would take into consideration a constellation of symptoms.

How is tuberculosis diagnosed and treated?
A chest X-ray is needed to diagnose suspected active TB. Thus, a positive Mantoux skin test does not necessarily indicate active TB. It can indicate exposure to TB or a previous TB vaccination. Anyone with a positive skin test needs to have a chest X-ray to exclude the possibility of active tuberculosis. Even if a chest X-ray confirms an individual doesn’t have active TB, standard protocol recommends a 6- to 9-month course of antibiotics as treatment for latent TB. The antibiotics used to treat latent and active TB are covered by most medical insurance plans.

Learn more about tuberculosis:

Centers for Disease Control, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination

Indiana State Department of Health, TB Control Division

Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health

Manchester College Health Services