Visited This Casino Lately? Health Officials Say You Should Get Tested For TB

PACHECO, CA — Contra Costa County's health department has contacted more than 300 people who may have been exposed to active tuberculosis at the California Grand Casino in Pacheco and is encouraging anyone who spent time in the casino since 2018 to get tested, county officials said Thursday.

Genetic testing revealed several related cases of TB over the past five years among staff and customers at the casino at 5988 Pacheco Blvd. in Pacheco, county health officials said. However, the county has not yet identified a current or ongoing source of transmission at the casino.

TB can spread when a person who has developed symptoms coughs or breathes out droplets containing the bacteria, particularly in an enclosed space over a long period of time, such as several hours.

Of the 11 confirmed TB cases at the casino, 10 are genetically linked and the majority are associated with staff or customers, county health officials said. The 11th case has not yet been genetically tested.

Health officials are working closely with casino management to ensure prompt, appropriate testing, health advice and screening for all its staff, officials said.

“We are making this recommendation now because there is new evidence that TB may have spread among people who spent time at the casino from 2018 to 2023,” said Dr. Meera Sreenivasan, deputy health officer for Contra Costa County. “TB can live inside someone for years without showing signs of its presence. That is why it’s important to take a test, even if you do not feel sick. TB can cause serious illness, but it is treatable and curable with medicine, especially when caught early.”

The only way to know if someone was infected after a TB exposure is to test.

Symptoms of active TB can include a persistent or bloody cough, fever, unexpected weight loss, night sweats and fatigue.

TB bacteria can live inside a person for months or years without causing any symptoms, so even people with no symptoms should talk to their healthcare providers about getting a TB test if they believe they may have been exposed, the county said.

Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to TB should talk to their healthcare provider, the county said.

People who have no health insurance or who need advice about their next steps can call the county's TB Client Services Program at 925-313-6740.

More information about TB is posted at Cchealth.org/tb.