FRESNO COUNTY – The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) has tracked potential tuberculosis (TB) exposure at California State University Fresno and Fresno City College to an adult male student who attended both institutions.
Health authorities are asking students and staff who may have come in contact with the individual last April. The adult student was diagnosed with active TB on Aug. 7, 2024. Since being diagnosed, he has been receiving treatment.
In a Sept. 26, 2024 press release, FCDPH said students and staff who may have been exposed will be asked to complete a survey and will be offered testing to assess their risk for TB infection. The release said that FCDPH and the student health clinics at Fresno State and Fresno City are partnering in the effort to determine how many individuals who may have been exposed are notified and tested.
TB is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs. TB can also infect the brain, kidneys or spine. Active TB is spread from person to person when an infected individual coughs, sneezes or talks.
Symptoms of active TB may include:
- A cough that last three weeks or longer;
- Coughing up blood or sputum – phlegm from deep inside the lungs;
- Unexplained weight loss;
- Loss of appetite;
- Fever; and
- Night sweats.
Over the past two years, Fresno County has seen a rise in active TB cases. In 2022, there were 312 cases reported. That number increased to 39 cases in 2023.
In recent months, the health department’s TB Control Program has seen an unusual number of severe TB infections among younger patients requiring hospitalizations and short-term medical care.
The California Department of Public Health notes that TB cases are on the rise statewide. TB cases increased from 1,842 in 2022 to 2,113 in 2023. Active TB cases in the state have steadily increased each year for the period 2020 through 2023. The Department notes there has been a 24% increase during this period.
The chance of dying from the disease has also increased. In 2010, the chance of dying from active TB was 8%; in 2020, it was 13%.Â
More information about TB is available at https://www.cdc.gov/tb/intex.html.
