Tuberculosis Exposure Reported at Sunset Elementary School
County health officials are working with the San Ysidro Elementary School District to notify families and staff about a potential tuberculosis (TB) exposure at Sunset Elementary School between July 5, 2025, to Oct. 21, 2025.
People at the highest risk of infection have already been contacted by the County and the school district. Free TB screening will be offered to students and staff who may have had increased risk of infection. TB is an airborne disease spread when a person with active TB coughs, speaks, sings or breathes. Anyone with prolonged indoor exposure to someone with active TB should be tested.
“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss,” said Sayone Thihalolipavan, M.D., MPH, County Public Health Officer. “Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away. 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.”
Effective treatments are available to cure both active TB and latent (dormant) TB.
People who test positive for TB but don’t have symptoms should get a chest x-ray and talk to a medical provider. These individuals most likely have a latent TB infection, meaning the bacteria are present but inactive. Preventative medication can significantly reduce the chance of developing active TB in the future.
Health officials emphasize that anyone who has symptoms of active TB, or those who are immunocompromised, should seek medical evaluation promptly to rule out active TB and determine whether preventive treatment is needed.
TB cases in San Diego County have been increasing in recent years. Reported cases rose from 193 in 2020, to 265 in 2025. An estimated 175,000 people in the region have latent TB infection and may be at risk for developing active TB without preventive care.
For more information about this potential exposure, call the County TB Control Program at 619-692-8621.