Health department investigating tuberculosis exposure on Fresno college campuses
The Fresno County Department of Public Health is reporting possible tuberculosis exposures at two college campuses.
More than 100 students and faculty members have been alerted to the exposures, which happened at both Fresno City College and Fresno State in April and May. Those notified have been asked to complete a survey and are being offered testing to assess their risk for infection.
The exposure comes from a single student who was attending classes at both campuses, according to the health department.
That student was diagnosed with active tuberculosis Aug. 7 and is currently being treated and monitored.
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis, also known as TB , is a bacterial infection that is best known for affecting the lungs, though it can also impact the brain, kidneys and spine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A latent version of the disease can live in a body for years without causing symptoms.
The active version causes prolonged coughing fits (often with blood or phlegm from deep with the lungs), unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite, fever and night sweats.
Active TB is spread by infected persons coughing, sneezing, or talking, the CDC says.
An increased danger?
This isn't the first TB exposure on a school campus in Fresno. In 2016, some 200 students were notified of a potential exposure at Fresno City College . That same year, a Bullard High School student was diagnosed with the disease.
And California has seen a steep rise in tuberculosis cases since 2020.
According to the state's department of public health, active TB cases have increased every year since 2020 and the state now has one of the highest infection rates in the country (and the most cases).
Last year, the number of TB cases in California rose by 271, or 15%, from the prior year.
Also, increasing is the likelihood of dying from the disease (though it is still rare). In the decade prior to 2020, the chance of dying from it was 8%, according to CDC data. That number was up to 13% in 2020.
That trend of increasing TB infections is also being seen in Fresno County, according to the health department.
In 2022, 31 cases were reported in Fresno County; 39 cases were reported in 2023.
An unusual number of severe TB infections (requiring hospitalizations and short-term medical care) have been reported among young people in recent months, the health department said.
