San Diego County’s public health department continued Friday to work with Sweetwater Union School District to notify students and staff of Southwest High School about potential exposure to tuberculosis earlier this year.
The possible exposure occurred between Feb. 1 and May 22.
The county and school district have notified individuals identified as being at the highest risk. No-cost TB screenings will be provided to students and staff with elevated exposure risk.
Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan, the county’s public health officer, said that symptoms of tuberculosis include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss.
“Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away,” he said.
“This is called latent TB infection. Some who become infected with tuberculosis will become ill in the future, sometimes even years later, if their latent TB infection is not treated. For people who think they may have been exposed, blood tests and skin tests are an effective way to determine an infection.”
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease spread through the inhalation of bacteria from an infected person. County health officials said individuals in congregate settings such as schools are at higher risk of exposure.
Those who test positive, but do not have symptoms, likely have latent TB and are advised to get a chest X-ray and consult with a medical provider, health officials said.
TB cases in San Diego County have been on the rise since 2020. Health officials reported 193 cases in 2020, 201 in 2021, 208 in 2022 and 242 in 2023. So far in 2024, 247 people have been diagnosed with active TB in San Diego County.
County health officials said an estimated 175,000 in the county have latent TB infections and said that without treatment, 5% to 10% of those people are at risk of developing active TB disease.
–City News Service
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