County health officials are warning that students and staff may have been exposed to tuberculosis at Fred H. Rohr Elementary School in Chula Vista during this past summer and fall.
The news comes in the wake of a report earlier this month that people might have been exposed to the disease earlier this year at San Diego's Mission Bay and Montgomery high schools.
Chula Vista Elementary School District officials were informed during the week of Nov. 7 about the exposure to students at Rohr Elementary from June 27, 2022, to Aug. 26, 2022. Since that time, county Health and Human Services Agency and district officials have undertaken to identify and notify those with the highest risk of exposure. Free testing will be provided to them, according to the HHSA.
While students and staff with increased risk were ID'd, other students and staff may also have been exposed, officials wanred.
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease that is transmitted from person to person through the inhalation of bacteria. Chances of infection are higher for people with frequent and prolonged indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB.
"Symptoms of active tuberculosis most commonly include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss," said Dr. Wilma Wooten, county public health officer. "Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away. Some who become infected with TB will become ill at some point in the future, sometimes even years later."
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According to the HHSA, treatments are available that are effective in preventing people infected with tuberculosis from getting sick and in curing people who are sick. It is especially important for individuals with symptoms of TB and those who are immune-compromised to see their medical provider to rule out an active case and to discuss treatment.
More information on possible exposures is available from the San Diego County TB Control Program at 619-692-8621 or the school district at 619-425-9600.
The number of annual tuberculosis cases in San Diego County has decreased since the early 1990s and has stabilized in recent years. There were 201 cases reported in 2021. Through September of this year, 126 cases were reported.
