A person at San Diego Mesa College has been diagnosed with tuberculosis, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) reported Tuesday.
County health officials are warning people who may have been exposed to the disease between Oct. 23 and Dec. 17 to get tested. It is unclear if the infected person was a student, faculty member or school official.
TB generally requires many hours of close, sustained indoor contact to spread.
“Most people who are exposed to TB do not develop the disease, but those who have been exposed need to be identified because it can be treated and cured with medication,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer, in a statement.
School officials are offering free testing to students, faculty and staff who may have been exposed. The testing will take place at the Mesa College Student Health Services building in room I4-209 starting Feb. 1. It will continue as needed.
Symptoms of active TB include cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss
According to health officials, TB has been decreasing in San Diego County, though it is not uncommon, Wooten said. There were 234 cases reported in 2015 and 220 cases reported in 2014 in San Diego County.
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Call the County TB Control Program at 619-692-8621 for more information about the potential exposure.
