A new case of tuberculosis (TB) has shown up at a South Bay school, and health officials believe the patient may have exposed others to the disease.
The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reported Monday that a person at Central Elementary School in Imperial Beach had contracted TB.
In response, the agency will offer free TB testing on May 13 for students who may have been exposed. The period of possible exposure was from March 17 to April 23, the HHSA said.
Symptoms include a persistent cough that lasts for at least three weeks, fever, night sweats, a feeling of weakness and unexplained weight loss.
TB is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings, and those germs can stay in the air for several hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten said most people who are exposed to TB never actually develop it.
“But when it does occur, it can be treated and cured with medication; that’s why it’s important to identify those who have been exposed,” said Wooten in a release.
Although not rare in San Diego County, cases of TB have decreased in recent years.
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So far this year, 59 cases have been reported. In 2013, 206 people had TB – the fewest number of cases since a 1993 peak of 469, the HHSA said.
If you have questions about possible exposure, call Central Elementary School at 619-628-5000 or the county’s TB Control Program at 619-692-8621.
