Two new unrelated cases of active tuberculosis that may have exposed others have been reported locally at the San Diego Rescue Mission and Castle Park High School, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
The San Diego Rescue Mission case was in the Men’s Center, located at 120 Elms Street, San Diego, and potentially exposed shelter staff, volunteers and residents to the disease. The period of exposure was from Sept. 1 to Oct. 6. HHSA is working with Mission staff to notify individuals that may have been exposed and is offering no cost testing to volunteers and residents on Wed. Nov 2 from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Mission.
HHSA is also working with Castle Park officials to notify individuals who potentially may have been exposed to TB at the school between July 20 and Oct. 17. Free testing for those students will take place on Nov. 7 at the school, 1395 Hilltop Drive, Chula Vista.
“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss,” said Sayone Thihalolipavan, M.D., M.P.H., County deputy public health officer. “Most people who are exposed to TB do not develop the disease.
“But when it does occur it can be treated and cured with medication, so that’s why it’s important to identify those who may have been exposed.”
There have been 173 TB cases reported to date in 2016. There were 234 cases reported in San Diego County in 2015.
For more information on this potential exposure, call the County TB Control Program at (619) 692-8621.
