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DENVER — It’s a rare disease more common in developing countries. But Denver Public Health has launched an investigation into a possible tuberculosis exposure at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

The health department says the unidentified person spent time at Metro when he or she contracted the rare illness sometime between the fall and spring.

The department won’t release the person’s gender.

But they estimate dozens of people had close enough contact with this person to be tested for the infection.

The grounds of MSU Denver might be the last place you’d expect a rare disease that normally flourishes amidst urban poverty and poorly-ventilated areas. But for about 100 students, faculty and staff the reality is they were recently exposed to tuberculosis likely by a student in several classrooms.

The university and health department told students about the health risk on Tuesday. “It’s one of those things you don’t really know, until you hear about it, you’re ‘Oh, oh. Okay,’” says MSU student Jasiah Jones.

It means the university has contacted those students telling them to get tested at the Health Center at Auraria.

“TB is an important disease that should not be forgotten,” Dr. Robert Belknap of Denver Public Health said.

The infectious disease specialist said people should not panic because the disease is difficult to get.

“Risk is defined by spending a lot of time, many hours in close contact, in a small airspace with an infected person,” he said.

That person also has to be symptomatic. That means coughing or sneezing since the bacteria is spread through the air. It is not spread through a handshake or on objects touched by a sick person.

The health alert is making some students nervous.

“There are a lot of people coughing and sneezing around here. And they still are. That makes me leery. Do you have a cold or TB?” MSU student Nick Katzer questioned.

Students also wonder how the health department would know the infectious person didn’t spread the germs in more populated areas. “Casual contact at the Student Union and library is not enough time to make TB transmission possible, or very likely,” Dr. Belknap said.

He also said the sick person told them that he/she did not spend much time–if any–in those areas.

That person is now in isolation.

Treatment takes about six months to entirely clear the infection.

More students will be tested Thursday.

But Dr. Belknap said they will not release any results–even if they’re positive–because of privacy reasons.