All articles tagged with #tuberculosis
90-year-old British singer Engelbert Humperdinck disclosed on his podcast that he tied up a nurse during his 1961 tuberculosis sanatorium stay. He described enduring painful injections and strict bed rest, leading him to restrain the staff member in retaliation. The incident occurred after he was diagnosed with TB following a coughing fit during a concert.
Tucson Unified School District alerted parents that an individual associated with Van Buskirk Elementary School has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis. The district is collaborating with the Pima County Health Department to identify potentially exposed students and staff. While the situation is not classified as an emergency, officials are conducting exposure assessments and offering testing to those who may need it.
Cumberland County health officials are investigating a confirmed tuberculosis case at Seventy-First High School in Fayetteville, identifying over 260 potential close contacts for screening. While authorities state there is no ongoing exposure, some parents and students report delays in receiving official notifications, leading to confusion and concern within the school community.
A confirmed tuberculosis case at Seventy-First High School in Cumberland County has triggered a public health investigation. Officials have identified over 260 individuals who may have had close contact with the infected person. Health authorities are coordinating with local schools and state agencies to screen exposed individuals and provide necessary medical information.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools confirmed a tuberculosis case at Alexander Graham Middle School and a whooping cough case at Carmel Middle School. Officials are coordinating with the Mecklenburg County Health Department to notify potentially exposed individuals and ensure compliance with health protocols. While both diseases are contagious lung infections, they have available vaccinations and distinct symptom profiles, prompting families to review CDC guidelines for prevention and testing.
Health officials in North Texas are recommending tuberculosis testing for students at MacArthur High School in Irving following a possible exposure during the 2025-2026 school year. The Dallas County Health and Human Services Department and the Texas Department of State Health Services are investigating the incident. Testing is advised for returning 10th, 11th, and 12th graders, though officials emphasize the public risk remains low and the recommendation is precautionary.
Colorado issued a public health order on August 13, 2026, compelling GEO Group to provide tuberculosis records from its Aurora ICE detention center. The state acted after GEO and ICE blocked health investigations for two months, despite a confirmed active TB case. The order demands medical data, contact lists, and transfer records by August 17 to assess community risk.
A confirmed tuberculosis case at Summerville High School in Dorchester County has led to contact tracing and notifications to potentially exposed families about testing options. TB spreads mainly through close contact, not casual encounters; only a minority exposed may develop disease in the first year or two. Families are advised to monitor for symptoms (prolonged cough, fever, night sweats) and consult a clinician, while practicing basic preventive measures like staying home when sick and maintaining good hygiene.
San Diego County health officials warn of potential exposure to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) linked to California State University San Marcos between Dec. 15, 2025 and May 14, 2026, with additional brief exposures on the North County Transit District Sprinter on May 18, 20, 26, and 27, 2026. If you may have been exposed, contact the County TB Prevention and Care Program for screening (call 619-692-8621). TB can be latent or active; early testing and treatment are important. MDR-TB is more challenging to treat but curable with the right medications. County TB cases have risen in recent years; callers can learn more from public health officials.
Fulton County’s health department alerted Johns Creek High School families to a possible TB exposure after an individual diagnosed with tuberculosis; students identified as likely close contacts will receive letters and be offered free TB testing at North Fulton Regional Health Center in Alpharetta on two testing/reading days in June and July. The district and health officials will share more specifics about the process, locations, and dates, and TB information is available from the CDC.
An active tuberculosis case at Fort Benning led to routine contact testing that identified 47 latent TB infections in the same basic training unit. Those individuals are receiving preventive treatment; eight results are pending and one trainee is under further medical evaluation. The active patient was isolated, and officials say the situation is contained, while experts note the heightened TB risk in crowded settings and stress the importance of robust public health resources.
Northern Kentucky health officials are tracing potential tuberculosis exposures after a confirmed case linked to Lloyd Memorial High School; a hotline (859-363-2120) has been set up, and officials say the ongoing exposure risk is lower now that summer break has started, though contact tracing remains challenging.
At the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly, delegates endorsed developing a post-2030 TB strategy for 2028 and reviewed progress and challenges of the End TB Strategy, noting funding gaps. The Assembly also approved recognizing steatotic liver disease as a growing NCD burden and urged its integration into national plans, while backing stronger care for haemophilia and other bleeding disorders. A strategic roundtable on health mis- and disinformation highlighted the need for multisectoral action and trusted information to safeguard public health.
California posted a record 2,150+ TB cases in 2025 with a rate of 5.4 per 100,000—nearly double the national rate. A CDC/MMWR review found about 50 large TB outbreaks from 2017–2023, many linked to family/social networks or congregate settings and associated with factors like housing insecurity and substance use. The Bay Area saw outbreak testing at Archbishop Riordan High School, and experts say preventing outbreaks will require stronger genomic surveillance, better TB programs, and addressing homelessness and related social determinants of health.
California health officials confirmed tuberculosis exposure at Justin Garza High School with one active infection and 22 of 169 exposed testing positive but asymptomatic; a possible exposure was also reported at Sunset Elementary in San Ysidro. No students or staff are currently contagious on campus, and investigators are conducting contact tracing and free screenings. San Diego County TB cases have risen from 193 in 2020 to 265 in 2025, highlighting a rising trend in the state.