UM student diagnosed with tuberculosis

A commuter student at the University of Maryland, College Park was diagnosed with tuberculosis last week, resulting in letters being sent to hundreds of potentially exposed classmates urging them to get tested for the disease.

No other cases of active tuberculosis have been found, said a spokeswoman for the Prince George's County Health Department. The sick student lives in another county; after the diagnosis, that county's Health Department notified Prince George's officials, who notified the university.

"You can die from TB, but it's very treatable, particularly if you catch it in the early stages," said Prince George's Health Department spokeswoman Patricia Sullivan. She said students who receive a letter should be sure to be tested.

University spokesman George Cathcart said the TB case is the only one he is aware of in his seven years at the school. The student's identity and condition have not been released because of privacy concerns, Sullivan said.