Who knew that the story I wrote about TB would be so popular?

The Associated Press picked it up. A newspaper in Delaware linked to it. I’m not even going to talk about the T.V. reporters.

My colleague Dennis O’Brien also did a blog post – with a neat graphic -- about it.

Here are the nuts and bolts of the story: Howard County health officials are investigating whether the county's first tuberculosis case this year, diagnosed in a student, spread the bacterial illness to staff members or other students at Hammond High School in Columbia.

The students and staff members at the Columbia school were told of the diagnosis Monday. The county Health Department sent letters Saturday to 50 students who ride the bus with the student, warning them that they might have been exposed and encouraging them to get tested.

Health officials learned about the infected student four weeks ago.

No one – other than the student – has contracted the disease, according to health officials. 

Do you think that the health department and school officials should have notified students and parents about the student immediately? Do you think they waited too long?