The risk to the general public appears low after an outbreak of tuberculosis at Archbishop Riordan High School, the San Francisco Department of Public Health says.
Three active TB cases were confirmed in the school community as of Friday, the Health Department said.
The first case was reported in November and the second and third case were found in January. Three more suspected cases were detected after testing, according to the health agency.
Importantly, all people with confirmed and suspected active TB cases are on treatment and there are currently no contagious cases on campus,” the Health Department said in a press release.
The department said 17% of 1,261 students and staff had a positive TB test, and there were 204 latent TB cases.
“While people with latent TB are not sick or contagious, the infection may develop into active TB — a serious illness — if left undetected and untreated, which is why contact tracing, testing, and treatment efforts are so critical,” the Heath Department said.
Outside of Archbishop Riordan, no related cases of active TB were reported at any San Francisco school, the Health Department said.