Tuberculosis outbreak linked to prominent high school, officials investigating

An outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) has been linked to a San Francisco precocious school.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) issued a wellness advisory connected Jan. 29 astir the outbreak, which has been tied to Archbishop Riordan High School.

TB is simply a curable bacterial corruption that targets the lungs, but tin besides infect different organs, according to Johns Hopkins. It is an airborne contagion that tin beryllium dispersed done coughing, sneezing oregon saliva.

Three progressive TB cases person been diagnosed among radical associated with Archbishop Riordan High School since November 2025, according to the advisory, and implicit 50 latent TB infections person been identified wrong the schoolhouse community.

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A idiosyncratic with a latent corruption has been infected with the tuberculosis bacteria, but the bacteria are inactive successful the body.

While latent-stage TB is not contagious, it tin make into progressive illness successful 5% to 10% of people.

An outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) has been linked to a San Francisco precocious schoolhouse (not pictured). (iStock)

"Efforts are underway to guarantee preventive attraction for each these individuals," the advisory states. 

The school’s unit and students person been instructed to enactment location if they are sick and to get aesculapian clearance from a doc earlier returning.

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"Additionally, TB valuation is required for each students and unit affiliated with the school, careless of symptoms," the advisory stated. "Repeat TB appraisal volition beryllium required each 8 weeks until the outbreak is resolved."

"At this time, hazard to the wide colonisation is low, truthful these measures are not needed for patients who are not connected to the AHRS outbreak."

"If you breathe, you tin drawback TB — truthful each radical are astatine risk."

In the U.S., much than 565 radical died from TB successful the astir caller implicit twelvemonth of authoritative information available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There is simply a greater than 10% lawsuit fatality complaint successful San Francisco, per wellness officials.

Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

While astir 25% of radical person apt been infected with the TB bacteria, conscionable 5% to 10% volition acquisition symptoms and make the disease. Only radical with symptoms are contagious.

Those who get sick with TB whitethorn acquisition mild symptoms, including coughing, thorax pain, fatigue, value loss, weakness, fever and nighttime sweats, according to the CDC.

TB is simply a curable bacterial corruption that targets the lungs, but tin besides infect different organs, according to Johns Hopkins.  (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

In summation to the lungs, the illness tin besides impact the kidneys, spine, tegument and brain.

"TB tin impact immoderate organ of the body, but it causes illness successful the lung successful implicit 80% of cases," Masae Kawamura, M.D., a erstwhile TB power manager successful San Francisco and a tuberculosis clinician, antecedently told Fox News Digital. "This is unsafe due to the fact that it causes cough, the mechanics of airborne spread."

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In much terrible cases, patients whitethorn cough up blood, noted Kawamura, who serves connected the committee of directors of Vital Strategies, a planetary nationalist wellness organization. 

"Often, determination are minimal symptoms for a agelong clip and radical mistake their occasional cough with allergies, smoking oregon a acold they can't shingle off," she added.

A idiosyncratic with a latent corruption has been infected with the tuberculosis bacteria, but the bacteria are inactive successful the body. (Janice Carr/CDC/AP)

TB tin beryllium identified with accelerated diagnostic tests. The illness is treated with antibiotics that are taken each time for 4 to six months, the CDC states. Some of the astir communal see isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol.

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Failing to instrumentality the implicit people of medications tin origin the bacteria to go drug-resistant, which would past necessitate attraction with antithetic medications.

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If TB goes untreated, it is fatal successful astir fractional of its victims, according to Kawamura. "About 25% retrieve connected their ain and different 25% persist arsenic chronic progressive TB cases," she said.  

Who is astatine risk?

"If you breathe, you tin drawback TB — truthful each radical are astatine risk," said Kawamura, who calls TB a "social illness of crowding and mobility." 

"Since TB is airborne, congregate settings similar hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, jails, classrooms and stateless shelters are places TB is much easy spread, particularly if aggregate risks are involved," she added.

Those astatine the highest hazard of processing TB illness aft vulnerability see radical who person diabetes, person weakened immunity, are malnourished, usage baccy and/or portion excess amounts of alcohol.  (iStock)

Those astatine the highest hazard of processing TB illness aft vulnerability see radical who person diabetes, person weakened immunity, are malnourished, usage baccy and/or portion excess amounts of alcohol. Babies and children are besides astatine higher risk.

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The champion means of prevention is investigating those astatine hazard and treating latent tuberculosis infection, according to the doctor.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Archbishop Riordan High School requesting comment.