Tuberculosis Exposure Reported At High School In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego County's public health department was working with Sweetwater Union School District Friday to notify Southwest High School students and staff who were potentially exposed to tuberculosis earlier this year.

The possible exposure happened between Feb. 1 and May 22.

TB is an airborne disease that is transmitted from person-to-person through inhalation of the bacteria from the air.

The county and school district have notified individuals identified as being at the highest risk of infection. No-cost TB screening will be provided for 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," Thihalolipavan 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."

People who test positive for TB but do not have symptoms likely have latent TB and should get a chest x-ray and talk to a medical provider, health officials said. An estimated 175,000 people in the county have latent TB infection and are at risk for developing active TB without preventive treatment.

TB cases in the 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. In 2024, a total of 247 people were reported with active TB disease in the county.