Off-campus SU student diagnosed with tuberculosis

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A Syracuse University student was recently diagnosed with tuberculosis, according to a campus-wide email released on Friday evening.

The student, who lives off campus, has not been back on SU’s campus since the diagnosis, Dr. Karen Nardella, medical director for SU’s Barnes Center at The Arch, wrote in the email.

Through the Barnes Center, the Onondaga County Health Department contacted individuals who experienced close contact, Nardella wrote.

“Upon learning this news, the University activated its response protocol. This includes prioritizing the care of the student and determining who may have been in close contact with them,” she wrote.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that usually targets the lungs, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Common symptoms of tuberculosis include repeated coughing, which can last for several weeks, and chest pain.

An SU student previously contracted tuberculosis in April 2019. As part of enrollment in SU, students must complete a tuberculosis screening and submit documentation to the Barnes Center.

Students with questions and concerns can contact the Barnes Center via email at barnescenter@syr.edu or by phone at 315.443.8000, Narella wrote.