By Gordon Anderson | gordon@rantnc.com

A case of tuberculosis was reported to the Lee County Health Department at the Ascend Leadership Academy charter school in Sanford recently, and an unspecified number of parents were notified that their children may have been exposed, The Rant has learned.

The instance of the infectious bacterial disease was reported to the county sometime prior to January 13, and testing was conducted for those who were potentially exposed on January 14.

Tuberculosis is rare in the United States and can prove fatal if untreated, although it is “completely curable with medications,” according to the a notice the county provided for the school to give to parents, which also clarifies that a diagnosis of tuberculosis is “NOT immediately life threatening nor an emergency.”

Further, the notice says “a positive TB skin test or blood test does not mean that your child is sick with TB.  If your child has a positive TB skin test, he or she will need a chest x-ray to check for signs of TB illness in the lungs.” It was unclear whether any other students showed signs of exposure that required further testing.

A tuberculosis vaccine exists, but isn’t generally administered to patients in the United States.

Ascend Leadership Academy didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.