The University of Houston Health Center wishes to take this opportunity at the start of another semester to inform the campus community of various communicable diseases that may be transmitted in any university setting. We also want to urge the campus community to stay up to date with vaccinations, and seek medical attention if you are, or may be experiencing symptoms from the following diseases: Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, or HIV/AIDS.

Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (“TB”) is a bacterial infection that is spread by respiratory contact with a person who has active TB. Symptoms of TB are fever, night sweats, prolonged cough, fatigue, weight loss, and appetite loss. If you experience any of the above symptoms of TB, you should take the time to be tested for TB. In the event that you notice any of the above symptoms of TB and have an immune system deficiency or chronic illness like diabetes or cancer, it is even more important that you seek testing and/or treatment.

Many people may have had a TB skin test or purified protein derivative of TB (“PPD”) placed sometime in their life as part of accepting an employment position or attending school. This test will tell you if you are infected with the bacteria that cause TB. If your PPD is read as positive, this means that you have latent TB infection (“LTBI”). Persons with LTBI are not infectious.

Only a thorough history and physical by your doctor and a chest x-ray will be able to tell if you have TB disease. Only persons with TB disease of the respiratory tract are infectious and can spread the disease to others. If you are told that you have a positive PPD and LTBI, you have a 10 % or 1 in 10 chance of developing TB disease sometime in your lifetime. There is no way of predicting if you will be that one in ten.

After a PPD is placed, you must return to the Health Center within 48-72 hours and allow a nurse to check the result. Because you must return to the Health Center within 48-72 hours after a PPD is placed, no PPD injections will be administered on Thursdays at the Health Center. The center provides TB testing and will be happy to perform and interpret your TB skin test.

Hepatitis
Hepatitis is often caused by viruses that attack the liver. The three most common forms of hepatitis are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. All forms of viral hepatitis can cause liver failure and death. Hepatitis A is primarily transmitted by drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food. Both hepatitis B and C are primarily transmitted by having contact with blood from an infected person—for example by sharing contaminated intravenous needles or having unprotected sex.

Some of the symptoms of viral hepatitis are fever, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), and nausea. The good news is that there are vaccines for both hepatitis A and B. The vaccination series (2-3 injections over a 6 month period) can be obtained at the Health Center. There is no vaccination available for Hepatitis C.

HIV/AIDS
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (“HIV”) is a virus that enters your bloodstream and attacks and breaks down your body’s immune system. When the immune system becomes weak, we lose our protection against illness and can develop serious and often life-threatening infections and cancers.

You are given a diagnosis of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (“AIDS”) when you have HIV and develop one of the serious infections connected with HIV or if your immune system has become badly damaged by the virus. It may take many years before HIV breaks down a person’s immune system and causes AIDS.

Many people can be HIV positive and not even know it until they become very ill. Up to 70% of people newly infected with HIV will experience some “flu-like” symptoms. These symptoms, which usually last no more than a few days, might include fevers, chills, night sweats and rashes (not cold-like symptoms).

The remaining percentage of people either do not show signs of the infection or have symptoms so mild that they may not notice them. The only way to know for sure whether or not you are HIV positive is by being tested for the virus. The Health Center provides HIV testing on a daily basis for a fee and twice a year free of charge. To protect yourself and others against HIV, always practice ‘safe-sex’ and do not share intravenous needles.

For more information, call 713-743-5151 or visit http://www.uh.edu/admin/hc/.