Indio High School student tests positive for tuberculosis; officials warn of possible exposure

INDIO, Calif. (KABC) -- Riverside County health officials are working to notify people of possible tuberculosis (TB) exposure after a student in Indio recently tested positive for the disease.

According to the Riverside University Health System, the student attends Indio High School and is expected to make a full recovery.

Officials worked with the Desert Sands Unified School District to send exposure notification letters to guardians, faculty and staff members who may have had contact with the student sometime in April through the end of May.

Those who aren't considered at-risk were notified of the potential exposure and were told that no further action was needed.

"Our team is working closely with the school to identify anyone who may have had close contact with the student and ensure they receive appropriate testing and follow-up care," said Dr. Jennifer Chevinsky in the notice posted on the Riverside University Health System's website. "Given the rise in tuberculosis cases we've seen in our county, this is an important reminder that TB disease is both preventable and treatable."

TB testing will be offered to those who may have been exposed.

What happens if I test positive?

If you test positive for TB, officials said you'll be sent for a chest X-ray.

"If the chest X-ray shows no disease in the lungs, treatment for latent TB infection is recommended to prevent progression to active TB illness," said the health notice.

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that spreads through the air. When a person with TB coughs, speaks or sings, germs are expelled into the air -- where they can linger for several hours -- before another person breathes in the air and becomes infected.

Riverside health officials say in most cases, people infected with TB have a latent infection that has no symptoms, is not contagious, and does not progress to active TB disease, especially with the appropriate treatment.

Symptoms of active TB can include a persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss.

Riverside health officials said there were 98 active TB cases reported last year, an increase from 63 cases in 2023.

If you have questions, you can call RUHS -PH Disease Control at 951-358-5107.