Several students and staff members at Homewood High School underwent tests for tuberculosis on Wednesday after a freshman at the school was diagnosed with the disease.

It was told that the officials with the Jefferson County Department of Health administered the tests. The tests were conducted in two parts.

In the first phase of the test each patient was given a shot of protein derivative in the forearm. The vaccination causes a small bump on the skin which looks like mosquito bite.

Part two phase of the test starts after 48 to 72 hours of the first phase. If the bump has gone away, the patient is considered negative.

But, if the injection site has become red and raised, and measures more than 10 millimeters, it is considered a positive case and that particular person could have tuberculosis.

After this the person with is given a chest X-ray, and if all goes normal the process ends there. But if the x-ray is abnormal, then the patient is given a physical exam, a TB questionnaire and begins treatment, which is given by the health department.

There are possibilities that a person could be exposed to TB and do not develop an active case. But if one becomes infected then there is not much to be worried of as it is treatable and curable with a medication regimen that lasts six to nine months.

Jenna Hammer, an RN at the UAB Student and Wellness Clinic, said, "If you have TB, it will always be in your body. But there is medication therapy that can decrease your chances of it ever coming back or getting any worse".

Students and staff at Homewood High School will be given the second part of this test on Friday, said officials.