{
  "id": "2021-11-01-american-university-tuberculosis-case",
  "slug": "american-university-tuberculosis-case-2021-11-01",
  "institution": {
    "name": "American University",
    "shortName": "AU",
    "state": "DC",
    "type": "private-r2",
    "alertSystemName": "AU Alerts",
    "enrollment": 14000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2021-11-01",
    "type": "public-health",
    "cleryCategory": "advisory",
    "headline": "Public health notice, November 1, 2021",
    "summary": "On November 1, 2021, [American University notified](https://www.american.edu/student-affairs/tuberculosis-1112021.cfm) students, faculty, staff, and families that a residential undergraduate student had tested positive for tuberculosis. The [DC Department of Health](https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2021/11/au-student-tests-positive-for-tuberculosis-dc-department-of-health-announces) led the public-health response, conducting contact tracing and directly notifying community members who needed testing.",
    "outcome": "DC Health determined who required testing based on exposure level and directly contacted close contacts. The university emphasized that most people exposed to TB do not develop active disease and that the risk to the broader community was low.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "November 1, 2021 (date line on the official letter page; no send time shown)",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Dear American University Community,\n\nThe DC Department of Health (DC DOH) has informed us that a residential undergraduate student at American University has tested positive for tuberculosis (TB). The student is currently residing off campus to receive treatment.\n\nTB is a disease that can spread through the air when an infected person coughs or otherwise releases the bacteria from their lungs or throat. Prolonged close contact in the same airspace is typically required, and it cannot be spread by surfaces, toilets, clothes, food, water, handshakes, or other casual contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\nThe DC DOH is conducting contact tracing and directly notifying any students, faculty, or staff who may need to be tested. The University is working closely with the DC DOH. In keeping with public health protocols, the DC DOH determines who must be notified or tested based on their level of exposure.\n\nPlease know that methods we have used to protect against COVID-19, in particular the high masking compliance that our community has shown, will also be helpful in protecting against tuberculosis exposure.\n\nIf you have questions and concerns, please see these Frequently Asked Questions.\n\nIn addition, a community webinar will be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 2 to share information and respond to questions.\n\nYou can learn more about tuberculosis, how it spreads, prevention, and treatment by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\nThe wellbeing of our community is our top priority. We will share updates as needed.\n\nSincerely,\n\nFanta Aw\nVice President of Undergraduate Enrollment, Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence\n\nDavid S Reitman, M.D.\nMedical Director, American University Student Health Center",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://web.archive.org/web/20230702205823/https://www.american.edu/student-affairs/tuberculosis-1112021.cfm",
      "sourceDescription": "American University Student Affairs community letter dated November 1, 2021, signed by Fanta Aw and Dr. David S Reitman (Wayback 20230702205823; live page 403)",
      "annotations": [
        "Lane B flip 2026-10-12: full text of the official 'Dear American University Community' letter dated November 1, 2021 recovered from the Student Affairs page via Wayback capture 20230702205823 (live 403 from this network). Replaced the reconstruction; the page's date line is carried in timestampApprox, not in the text. Three prior annotations that quoted or described reconstruction wording absent from the official letter were removed, and the unsupported clock-time timestamp was dropped (the record shows a date only)."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1782,
      "lastUpdated": "2026-10-12"
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "November 5, 2021 (date line on the official letter page; no send time shown)",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Dear American University Community,\n\nWe wanted to provide an update on the contact tracing process that the DC Department of Health (DC DOH) is conducting after a positive case of active tuberculosis (TB) was confirmed earlier this week.\n\nDOH is directly notifying students, faculty, or staff by email who may need to be tested. If you are determined to be a close contact, you will be notified and/or tested based on your level of exposure. The email, which will come from @dc.gov, will be an encrypted message from DOH which you will need to sign into for access.\n\nEarlier this week, a community forum was held on the case with medical professionals from DOH, along with AU leadership. You may view the webinar at your convenience.\n\nPlease know that we are here to support any community member who may be affected by this process. The AU Student Health Center is available for visits and consultations regarding any health-related concerns. If you do receive a contact tracing letter from DOH, we encourage you to reach out to DC Health directly with any questions you may have.\n\nYou can learn more about tuberculosis, how it spreads, prevention, and treatment by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  and the CDC’s Questions and Answers about TB. Additional information is also available in AU’s Frequently Asked Questions page.\n\nThe wellbeing of our community remains our top priority. We will continue to share updates as needed.\n\nSincerely,\n\nFanta Aw\nVice President of Undergraduate Enrollment, Campus Life & Inclusive Excellence\n\nDavid S Reitman, M.D.\nMedical Director, American University Student Health Center",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://web.archive.org/web/20230702205803/https://www.american.edu/student-affairs/update-tuberculosis-1152021.cfm",
      "sourceDescription": "American University Student Affairs community letter dated November 5, 2021, signed by Fanta Aw and Dr. David S Reitman (Wayback 20230702205803; live page 403)",
      "annotations": [
        "Lane B flip 2026-10-12: full text of the official 'Dear American University Community' letter dated November 5, 2021 recovered from the Student Affairs page via Wayback capture 20230702205803 (live 403 from this network). Replaced the reconstruction; the page's date line is carried in timestampApprox, not in the text. Three prior annotations that quoted or described reconstruction wording absent from the official letter were removed, and the unsupported clock-time timestamp was dropped (the record shows a date only)."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1637,
      "lastUpdated": "2026-10-12"
    }
  ],
  "context": "Tuberculosis remains a notifiable disease handled jointly by universities and local health authorities. In this November 2021 case, [American University announced](https://www.american.edu/student-affairs/tuberculosis-1112021.cfm) that a residential undergraduate had been diagnosed with TB and that the [DC Department of Health](https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2021/11/au-student-tests-positive-for-tuberculosis-dc-department-of-health-announces) was leading contact tracing. The student newspaper [The Eagle](https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2021/11/tuberculosis-experts-from-the-dc-department-of-health-join-au-health-officials-after-student-tests-positive) reported that DC Health experts joined AU health officials and that the agency would directly notify anyone needing testing. The case echoed a separate July 2018 AU TB diagnosis involving an off-campus graduate student, but the 2021 case was distinct in involving a residential undergraduate and a campuswide notice. The episode is a model of proportionate public-health messaging: an alert that informs the whole community while narrowly defining who must actually take action.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The notice repeatedly gated action to people directly contacted by DC Health, preventing the worried-well from overwhelming testing resources",
    "TB transmission was described as airborne via coughing, speaking, or singing, distinct from the vaccine framing of measles/meningitis notices",
    "DC Health, not the university, held the lead public-health role including contact tracing and notification",
    "The case is distinct from a separate July 2018 AU TB case involving an off-campus graduate student"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Tuberculosis Case at AU - American University Student Affairs",
      "url": "https://www.american.edu/student-affairs/tuberculosis-1112021.cfm",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Update on TB Testing for Close Contacts - American University",
      "url": "https://www.american.edu/student-affairs/update-tuberculosis-1152021.cfm",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "AU student tests positive for tuberculosis, DC Department of Health announces - The Eagle",
      "url": "https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2021/11/au-student-tests-positive-for-tuberculosis-dc-department-of-health-announces",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "TB experts from DC Department of Health join AU health officials - The Eagle",
      "url": "https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2021/11/tuberculosis-experts-from-the-dc-department-of-health-join-au-health-officials-after-student-tests-positive",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "tuberculosis",
    "public-health",
    "contact-tracing",
    "dc",
    "residential",
    "advisory"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-28",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-10-12",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}