Tuberculosis outbreak: Public health emergency declared in California

• 14 cases of tuberculosis were confirmed as of Monday, Long Beach officials said
• Investigators have also identified 170 other people who may have been exposed 

A public health emergency has been declared in southern California after a tuberculosis outbreak left at least one person dead and nine hospitalized.

Health officials said the outbreak was localized to guests at a single-room occupancy hotel in Long Beach, which the city’s health department has declined to identify.

A total of 14 cases of tuberculosis were confirmed as of Monday, but investigators have also identified 170 other people who may have been exposed, the City of Long Beach has revealed.

City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis on Thursday declared a local public health emergency in effort to ‘strengthen the city’s preparedness and ability to respond’ to the localized outbreak.

Officials insist the risk of exposure to the general public is ‘low’, noting the outbreak is restricted to a ‘distinct population’ of people with ‘significant barriers to care, including homelessness and housing insecurity, mental illness, substance abuse and serious medical comorbidities.’

Tuberculosis is a serious illness that usually attacks the lungs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacteria is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks.

A public health emergency has been declared in Long Beach, California after a localized tuberculosis outbreak left at least one person dead and nine hospitalized. Pictured is a file photo of downtown Long Beach, as seen in February 2023

A total of 14 cases of tuberculosis were confirmed as of Monday, but investigators have also identified 170 other people who may have been exposed. Pictured is a 3D illustration of bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Long Beach’s Department of Health and Human Services said that people who stayed at the privately operated hotel may have been exposed to tuberculosis and have been contacted by the city.

Around 170 people who were potentially exposed have been identified and are in the process of being screened, the city revealed in a press release.

As of April 29, 14 cases associated with the outbreak have been confirmed but officials expect that number, as well as the number of additional exposures, to rise.

‘Those who are found to have active TB disease or latent TB infection will be provided treatment,’ the city said.

Officials refused to release the name or location of the hotel connected to the outbreak ‘to protect patient privacy and comply with HIPAA regulations’, but said the facility is private and not operated by the city.

The health authority told the Los Angeles Times that the hotel was not in quarantine and remains open. It is unclear whether the residents who were staying there were moved out.

Long Beach officials declared the public health emergency Thursday afternoon, citing how the ‘level of attention needed to contain the outbreak is well beyond the scope of the department’s day-to-day work’.

Tuberculosis is a serious illness that usually attacks the lungs, according to the CDC. The bacteria is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. Pictured is a file photo of a chest x-ray of the patient with tuberculosis

Officials say the declaration, which will be formally voted on by the City Council on Tuesday, will ‘streamline the Department’s ability to quickly secure resources and take additional action to contain the outbreak’.

‘The population of concern requires outreach and engagement, necessitating significant staff time to perform multiple interactions,’ health officials said. ‘The Department has exhausted their resources to manage this response without an emergency declaration.

‘Screening and treating such a large number of people requires many resources. Declaring a public health emergency streamlines the department’s ability to quickly secure resources and take additional action to contain the outbreak.’

Signs and symptoms of a tuberculosis infection

Tuberculosis in the lungs may cause:

• A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
• Chest pain  
• Coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs) 

Other symptoms include:

• Weakness or fatigue
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Chills
• Fever
• Night sweats 

Symptoms of tuberculosis in other parts of the body will depend on the affected area, health officials say.

Patients with a latent tuberculosis infection will not feel sick, do not exhibit any symptoms and cannot spread the illness to others.

Source: CDC

The health department has been authorized to provide provided temporary housing, food and transportation to those who were exposed to the bacteria. The authority is also covering Tuberculosis treatment.

Neighboring Los Angeles County has not had any cases related to the outbreak in Long Beach, but its health disease control bureau intends to ‘support Long Beach’ with the outbreak, a spokesperson told the LA Times.

DailyMail.com has approached the Long Beach and Los Angeles County health departments for comment.

The outbreak comes as tuberculosis cases appear to be on the rise nationwide.

Last year, the US recorded the highest number of tuberculosis cases in a decade, a CDC report showed, with 40 states reporting an increase in the illness.

More than 9,600 tuberculosis cases were reported in 2023, a 16 per cent increase from 2022 and the highest recorded number of cases since 2013.

Cases reportedly declined sharply at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but officials say they have been rising ever since.

The number of cases in California rose by 15 per cent in 2023, compared with the previous year. The state Department of Public Health in March said the rise in tuberculosis cases was the highest year-over-year increase since 1989.

There were a total of 2,113 tuberculosis cases recorded in California last year – around the same number reported in 2019, before the pandemic.

The outbreak in Long Beach follows a recent tuberculosis outbreak at migrant facilities in Chicago.

Last month, the Chicago Department of Public Health revealed that city officials were urgently start contact tracing after tuberculosis cases had detected at a migrant facility in the city.

The Chicago Department of Public Health did not disclose the exact number of cases or which shelter it originated from but confirmed that ‘a small number of cases’ were reported ‘in a few different shelters’ around the city.

The outbreak in Chicago followed a recent measles outbreak in the city’s shelters. Officials said at the time that ‘these outbreaks happen in close quarters, people who are living close to one another’ and reaffirmed that the public did not need to panic.

More than 9,600 tuberculosis cases were reported in 2023, a 16 per cent increase from 2022 and the highest recorded number of cases since 2013

Tuberculosis kills an estimated 1.6million people worldwide each year, making it one of the leading causes of death globally.

The infection is spread by the coughs and sneezes of patients and most often affects the lungs, although it can get into other parts of the body.

Early symptoms of the disease include coughs, fevers, night sweats and weight loss.

Severe tuberculosis infection can kill by destroying the organs from the inside, causing them to bleed and fill with liquid.

Tuberculosis is particularly dangerous for immunocompromised people, like those undergoing chemotherapy, and for those without access to good medical care.

But the infection can usually be cured with antibiotics. The BCG vaccine protects people from getting Tuberculosis but is only given to those at higher risk of getting the infection.

WHAT IS TUBERCULOSIS? 

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection spread between people by coughing and sneezing.

The infection usually affects the lungs but the bacteria can cause problems in any part of the body, including the abdomen, glands, bones and the nervous system.

In healthy people the bacteria are often killed by the immune system or at least prevented from spreading, but in some cases the bacteria can take hold and cause a more serious infection.

TB infection causes symptoms like fever, coughing, night sweats, weight loss, tiredness and fatigue, a loss of appetite and swellings in the neck.

If the immune system fails to contain TB bacteria the infection can take weeks or months to take hold and produce symptoms, and if it is left untreated it can be fatal.

TB is a common cause of death among people with HIV, because it is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems – people with HIV are thought to be up to 27 times more likely to get the disease.

With treatment, TB can almost always be cured with antibiotics and people tend to stop being contagious after about three weeks of therapy.

TB is most common in less developed countries in sub-Saharan and west Africa, southeast Asia, Russia, China and South America.

Source: NHS

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