A former Olathe Northwest High School student who had active tuberculosis says he wants to raise awareness about the potentially fatal disease that is still relatively rare in the state.

Tests discovered that Zee Pinkerton had the disease two years ago when he was a senior. Students and staff at the school were tested.

Those who tested positive for latent TB were given medications. No students tested positive for active TB.

The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/2rNlZxT) Pinkerton battled the disease for months. Since then, he’s met with members of Congress and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to talk about vaccine research, testing protocols and the need for new drugs.

Tuberculosis is a lung ailment spread through saliva droplets coughed or sneezed into the air.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com.