SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – The Sweetwater Union School District says students and staff were potentially exposed to tuberculosis earlier this year.
The school district and San Diego County’s Tuberculosis Control Program say they have already notified those who are at the highest risk of infection, and are arranging TB screening for them at no cost.
The county says the time of potential exposure was from Feb. 1 through May 22 of this year.
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease, transmitted from person to person through bacteria in the air. It can spread when an infected person coughs, speaks, sings, or breathes.
County Public Health Officer Sayone Thihalolipavan says symptoms of TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss. Thihalolipavan says most people who become infected don’t get sick right away, sometimes even years later, so it’s important to get tested if you were exposed, even if you don’t have symptoms. There are effective treatments available to cure those who are sick.
For more information, call the County TB Control Program at 619-692-8621.
