IT NOW happens almost every school year – a public school student is diagnosed with tuberculosis and school officials scramble to try to contain the outbreak.

Over the weekend, the Department of Public Health and Social Services and the Guam Department of Education again reported that an individual at Simon Sanchez High School had been diagnosed with active tuberculosis.

The individual was taken out of the classroom, started on TB medications, and instructed not to return to the school until medical clearance is given.

In the meantime, DPHSS and school officials had to work quickly to identify all close contacts of the carrier student. These close contacts will be recommended to undergo TB screening.

The question is, How did that student slip through the cracks and allowed to attend school in the first place? Should GDOE review its policies and ensure stricter pre-screening?

Even with GDOE assuming the biggest part of GovGuam’s budget, some would say additional measures would entail extra costs that GDOE could ill afford.

But what is happening now is more expenses are already being incurred in terms of money and manpower to check all those who had close contacts with the TB carrier.

And then there is all the worry and aggravation that will affect not only all the students in the school, but also the parents, faculty and officials involved in the process.

In this most recent incident, all faculty and parents of students identified as close contacts have had to be notified by letter and provided information regarding the date for the TB screening.

All these people have to undergo this because one student slipped through the net.

There is also an important medical reason why more rigorous pre-screening is needed before kids enter school.

According to DPHSS, it takes anywhere from two to 12 weeks to see evidence of TB infection as shown by a positive TB skin test reaction. In addition, most people who get exposed to TB might be able to keep the infection inactive or latent since exposure to tuberculosis does not result in TB disease immediately, unlike other communicable diseases such as measles or mumps.

This means that even if one student suffering from TB slips through, he or she could have already contaminated dozens of students even before officials become aware of the carrier student’s condition.

This problem becomes more acute in the elementary levels because it may be harder to keep active TB under control among younger children who are at higher risk of developing active TB disease.

Perhaps parents can help out by being more proactive and taking the initiative to have their kids’ shots updated – whether GDOE requires them or not.

DPHSS can also do its part by giving educational officials tips on how to further improve TB screening.