Westborough Tuberculosis Statement Follows 'Public Concern'

WESTBOROUGH, MA — If you woke up today wondering if Westborough is in the midst of a tuberculosis crisis, the answer is no.

The town issued a statement about the highly contagious bacterial disease this week, but have not said what prompted it — although cases in the area have risen sharply.

"In response to some concerns that have been raised, the Westborough Health Department would like to make clear that Westborough is not facing a public health crisis regarding tuberculosis (TB)," the statement read in part.

Asked on Tuesday to clarify, health director Jennifer Sullivan said there was "public concern."

"We received notification of public concern," Sullivan said via email when asked what prompted the town's statement.

Health officials in Worcester tracked more than 1,100 cases in 2023, although many appear to be the latent form of the disease, according to a recent Worcester Telegram report. The city typically sees about nine cases per year, according to state Department of Public Health data for 2019 to 2022. The state had about 153 confirmed cases in 2022, according to DPH.

Health officials aren't necessarily concerned about a rise in cases, however, because of how tuberculosis is transmitted.

"In some people, the bacteria enter the lungs, but does not cause an active infection and there are no symptoms. This is called latent TB and can be detected by testing. Persons with latent TB will not transmit TB to someone else unless the person with latent TB develops active TB," Westborough's statement said. "About 5-10% of persons with latent TB will eventually develop active TB and this can be prevented by treating with medication."

Learn more about tuberculosis and how it's transmitted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.