Source: Fox News
Summary
A tuberculosis (TB) outbreak has been linked to Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco, with three active cases and over 50 latent infections identified. The San Francisco Department of Public Health has issued a health advisory, and efforts are underway to provide preventive treatment to those affected. The school’s staff and students have been instructed to stay home if sick and to get medical clearance before returning. TB is a curable bacterial infection that targets the lungs, but can also infect other organs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 565 people died from TB in the most recent complete year of official data available.
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The advice sounds familiar.
TB outbreaks have been a recurring concern in crowded settings, such as schools and hospitals. The disease can be spread through coughing, sneezing, or saliva, and can affect any organ of the body, but most commonly targets the lungs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 565 people died from TB in the most recent complete year of official data available. The disease can be treated with antibiotics, but failing to take the complete course of medications can cause the bacteria to become drug-resistant.
It seems that the more we learn about TB, the more we realize how much we still need to learn about this ancient disease.
Author: Evan Null
