More TB cases at Central Catholic High School

PORTLAND, Ore. - After a string of cases two months ago, seven more people at Central Catholic High School in southeast Portland have tested positive for a latent form of tuberculosis.

The seven are carriers and not contagious.

Back in late November, Multnomah County tested 200 students and staff after someone contracted tuberculosis. A total of 11 people ended up testing positive but were not contagious.

About Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, which affects the lungs, is an age-old scourge that lies dormant in an estimated 1 in 3 people.

About 10 percent of those people eventually develop active TB, which kills roughly 2 million a year, according to the World Health Organization.

Each victim infects an average of 10 to 15 others every year, typically through sneezing or coughing.

The airborne disease is mainly transmitted through close personal contact and isn't nearly as contagious as the flu.