Tuberculosis case at Georgia school may have infected hundreds of people

A student with tuberculosis may have infected hundreds of people at a Georgia high school amid the disease’s alarming global spread.

Local health officials have identified the infected student at Walton High School in Marietta, the Cobb County School District told USA TODAY in an email.

The student with the bacterial illness came into contact with about 200 students and faculty, prompting public health officials in Cobb and Douglas counties to conduct tuberculin skin tests Tuesday, according to Valerie Crow, a spokeswoman for the local public health department.

Crowe declined to say more about how or when the student contracted tuberculosis, citing patient privacy laws.

On Thursday, public health officials returned to the Walton school and determined that no one had tested positive. However, anyone who tests negative will need to take another test to confirm it in eight to 10 weeks, Crowe said.

School having almost 2700 studentsplans to notify people of the date and time for retesting. Students who are unable to get tested Tuesday should seek testing from a private physician and provide written confirmation to the school, Crowe said.

What is tuberculosis?

According to the WHO, tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and is spread through germs from infected people. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When they cough, sneeze or talk, these germs float in the air, which others can inhale. Exposure usually requires exposure to a small, enclosed space for an extended period of time.

The disease usually affects a person’s lungs, although it can also affect the brain, spine and kidneys. It can affect different parts of the body at the same time. Not all people with tuberculosis develop the disease, and signs of the disease sometimes appear gradually over several months.

Tuberculosis was once a common respiratory disease in the United States, causing numerous deaths each year. Infections and deaths have declined sharply over the past 100 years thanks to concerted public health efforts toward detection and early treatment.

Growth in the US and around the world

USA saw surge in tuberculosis incidence cases since the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were more than 9,600 preliminary cases filed in 2023, compared with less than 8,900 in 2019, according to the agency. CDC report for March. Health care disruptions during the pandemic followed by a post-pandemic return to travel and migration likely contributed to the rise, said Dr. Richard Chaisson, director of Johns Hopkins University. Tuberculosis Research Center.

The incidence of tuberculosis has also increased worldwide.

World Health Organization report An estimated 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed with tuberculosis in 2023, the highest number since the organization began monitoring the disease in 1995, according to estimates released Tuesday. Tuberculosis overtook Covid-19 as the deadliest infectious disease in 2023, the report says.

“The global numbers are depressing because they are not going down steadily,” Chesson told USA TODAY.

However, there are some encouraging signs around the world. Tuberculosis deaths were lower: 1.32 million deaths in 2022 and 1.25 million in 2023. Officials also noted a decrease in the incidence and mortality of people from drug-resistant tuberculosis. The number of people with HIV/AIDS who die from tuberculosis has also fallen.

According to the WHO, the United States is providing the most assistance in combating the disease worldwide. The disease thrives in densely populated environments and tends to spread in poor areas where people lack access to medical care or proper nutrition.

The US is equipped to easily detect and treat cases of the disease. However, many countries around the world lack such public health tools.

“A lot of countries just don’t do it,” Chesson said. “This needs to be done. That’s why he’s so persistent.”

Symptoms of active tuberculosis:

persistent cough for several weeks;
coughing up blood;
chest pain;
fatigue or weakness;
chills, fever, or night sweats;
no appetite, weight loss.

People with inactive TB can develop active disease at any time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people usually have a TB treatment regimen with their doctor that uses antibiotics, which can kill the germs.