Silchar, Mar 19: The National Institute of Technology, Silchar, is in the middle of great tension and anxiety following the detection of tuberculosis cases among the students of the institution.
The intensity of the tension was so deep that the NIT Silchar authorities had to issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to keep the students safe from being infected by the disease further.
However, according to Dr. Ratna Chakraborty from the district Tuberculosis Centre, one student from Bangladesh was detected and microbiologically confirmed to have tuberculosis back in February of this year, and he has been isolated and sent home following necessary tests. However, since they have to follow the latest government guidelines for contact tracing of persons who might have come into contact with the infected student, further examinations were done in which at least five students were detected and found positive for latent TB infection, which, in the words of Dr. Chakraborty, is not contagious and they are not potential carriers of the disease.
“Three of the students were found to be asymptomatic. Those found to be positive for latent infection were given TB preventive therapy by following the latest government guidelines to eliminate TB by 2025. We must understand that there is a difference between people infected with tuberculosis and people detected positive for latent TB infection. On Tuesday, we rushed to the institute and conducted screening tests among 200 students. 30 students were found to be symptomatic of TB, and their samples were sent for the CBNAAT at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH)."