Tests being conducted at a Waco elementary school for tuberculosis

Parents were made aware of the situation Monday night and testing began Wednesday. A group of 28 faculty members and children at the provident heights elementary school were tested this week and now they have to wait for the results to come in to see what the next step should be.

McLennan County public health district officials say the testing started after a person on campus was diagnosed with the illness.

They say it's an airborne disease that affects the lungs and testing is important to show whether it's a latent case or an active one.

"The first thing you want to do is find out if you can give them a TB skin test and if they've never had a positive test before. You give them a TB skin test and within 48 to 72 hours you read that test and go from there." Kelly Crain with the McLennan County Public Health District said.

Public health officials say results from those 28 tests can be expected as early as next week. It is the second case of TB at an elementary school in McLennan County and the public health district says they're actually treating 139 cases of latent TB at the moment.

Last December Providence Hospital in Waco had a similar situation. officials announced one of its employees had tested positive for tuberculosis.

Some symptoms of TB include coughing up blood, mucus or phlegm, and having chest pains when you cough. other symptoms include fever, sweating, weakness weak, loss of appetite and weight loss.