Tuberculosis cases increase in this Central Valley county. Here’s what you can do
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tulare County reports in November rise in active TB cases and exposure risk.
- Health officials urge risk-based TB screening via blood or skin tests in 2025.
- CDC logged an 8% US TB increase in 2024; California cases remained nearly flat.
Tulare County health officials are warning people of an increase in cases of Tuberculosis in the county. Tuberculosis, also known as TB, is a serious illness caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss,” said Dr. Asma Tariq, the county’s public health officer.
The county experienced an increase in cases of TB, the airborne disease that is transmitted from person to person through inhalation of bacteria from the air, in November, according to health officials.
An active tuberculosis patient was identified at UC Davis in Northern California this week.
While TB is treatable, the bacteria can spread when someone with TB coughs, speaks, sings, or breathes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tulare County Health officials are encouraging people to get a TB screening based on their risk factors and medical history. People with frequent and prolonged indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB should get tested.
“Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away,” Tariq said in an email. “This is called latent TB infection.”
Tariq said if the latent TB infection is not treated, some who become infected will become ill in the future, sometimes even years later.
“For people who think they may have been exposed, blood tests and skin tests are an effective way to determine an infection,” Tariq said.
According to the CDC, 10,347 TB cases were reported in the United States in 2024, an 8 percent increase from the previous year, when 9,622 U.S. cases were identified.
According to the California Department of Public Health website, in 2024, 2,109 people were reported to have TB in the state compared with 2,114 in 2023.
Those at higher risk of developing TB include:
Close contacts of individuals with active TB; People who have lived or traveled in countries with high TB rates.
Individuals with weakened immune systems ; Pregnant individuals; Infants and young children and Older adults .
People experiencing homelessness or substance use; Individuals living or working in congregate settings ) and those with a history of untreated or latent TB infection.
