A University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student was formally diagnosed with tuberculosis Wednesday after symptoms indicated the presence of the disease last week.

The student does not live on the UWM campus, but has been quarantined since the suspicion of TB arose, according to UWM University Relations Vice Chancellor Tom Luljak. The infected student studies in a small department on campus, Luljak added.

"Based on the evidence we have thus far, the individual exposed [the illness] to a relatively small amount of people," Luljak said.

The disease is caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Although TB generally attacks the lungs, it can still attack any part of the body.

Once the bacterium is airborne after a cough or sneeze, it can be inhaled by others. Symptoms include weight loss, pain in the chest, coughing up blood and fever.

Not all people that breathe in the bacterium develop TB, the site said. Instead, some people only develop latent TB infection. These people have no symptoms and are unable to spread TB to others.

"One-third of the world is infected with TB," said George Mejicano, professor of medicine at UW-Madison. "But only 10 percent in a lifetime will ever get sick from the organism."

In Wisconsin, an estimated 250,000 people have latent TB infection, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. In 2005, there were 27 reported cases of TB in Milwaukee County and 15 in Dane County.

"Because so many people are infected, the pool for developing the disease is a lot higher," Mejicano said.

Students at UWM who are suspected to have come in contact with the infected individual are being tested for the disease.

"We've invited in the Milwaukee Heath Department to do testing," Luljak said.

In order to find out if someone has TB, a TB skin test is performed. This involves injecting a purified protein derivative into the skin while the subject's immune system is functioning. A bump will then develop at the injection site, and depending on the size of the bump, it can be determined whether or not the person has TB.

The infected student's name and age are not being released, Luljak said, to ensure protection of the student's privacy.