LEWISTON — There is reason for concern, sure. But there is no cause for panic.

That from State Epidemiologist Stephen D. Sears, who says that even though a Lewiston High School student was diagnosed with tuberculosis, chances are slim that there will be subsequent problems.

TB is extremely rare in the United States and even more so in Maine, Sears told a group at Lewiston High School on Thursday night. In this state, fewer than a dozen cases are confirmed each year.

It’s not as easy to spread as many people believe. A person with an infection can’t spread it at all. It takes one who is sick with the active disease to become infectious.

Even then, it’s not spread by mere touching, sharing food or drink or something so basic as touching a door handle. The infected person must sneeze or cough, putting the TB germs in the air.

“Somebody else has to breathe it in,” Sears said. “It doesn’t happen when you just walk by somebody who has it.”

Tuberculosis is not floating around in the air at the high school. The germ is not hiding in the carpets, waiting to spring.

Chances are slim that any further cases will be detected, he said. If they are, the infected person can expect a full recovery.

“In almost all cases, it’s curable,” Sear said. “We have very, very good medications.”

Feel better? That’s the idea.

Sears was invited to speak at the high school after officials learned a TB case had been confirmed there in the spring. Letters have been sent to the parents of 87 students who may have come into contact with the infected teenager. Nine staff members have also been notified. Each will be tested later this month.

Sears, an expert in tuberculosis, came to calm people by informing them. More than a dozen showed up to hear him.

“My goal,” he said, “is to answer any questions you might have.”

Sears spoke for a half-hour, leaning up against a desk as he did so. He spoke easily about the history of TB, the way it is commonly spread, how it is treated and the important difference between TB, the infection and TB, the disease. By the time he was done, there weren’t many questions at all.

“It’s an ancient disease,” Sears said. “A lot of people think it’s gone away. It hasn’t.”

TB is a huge problem in other parts of the world, Sears said. Even in the U.S., there are more than 11,000 cases per year.

But we’re far from the ravages of the Edgar Allan Poe era, when men, women and children died in bunches every day from what was known by some as the Red Death. Gone, too, are the TB sanatoriums of the 1930s and ’40s. These days, medical experts cure the disease rather than merely making the victim comfortable.

The situation at Lewiston High School was handled almost to perfection, Sears said, because of cooperation between state offices and administrators at the school. He thanked Principal Gus Leblanc for the excellent work.

The infected student — it’s believed he became exposed to the infection in March, although it was not disclosed how — is being treated.

Free testing, which the school district recommends, even though the risk of infection is low, will take place July 25 and Aug. 1 at Lewiston High School. Students will return two to three days later for results.

“It’s a serious situation,” Sears said. “But it’s not an emergency.”

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What is tuberculosis?

* TB is caused by t a slow-growing bacteria: Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

* TB usually infects the lungs but can target any part of the body.

What are the signs and symptoms?

* Cough lasting more than three weeks;

* Weight loss;

* Night sweats;

* Fever and chills;

* Appetite loss;

* Coughing up blood;

* Feeling very tired;

* Chest pain.

How is TB spread?

* TB is spread to others when someone with active TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings.

* A person can become infected by having close, prolonged contact with the person with TB

How is TB NOT spread?

* Touching

* Hugging or kissing

* Sex

* Sharing food or drink

* Touching door handles

* Mosquitoes

Source: Dr. Stephen D. Sears