San Diego County Reports Tuberculosis Exposure at Southwest High School: Fourth Case in Two Years, Free Testing in Early November
San Diego County officials said on October 21 that county health officials are working with the Sweetwater Union High School District to notify students and staff about a tuberculosis exposure at Southwest High School in San Diego, in San Diego County, California. The possible exposure period ran from June 23, 2025, to March 6, 2026.
The county said it has contacted the people at highest risk and will offer free TB blood testing at the school for all current students and staff during the first week of November, with a mobile vehicle on campus to take chest X-rays. Former students are being notified and can receive free testing at the school on December 4, 2026, from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the South Lot student parking area.
This is the fourth person associated with Southwest High School diagnosed with active TB within the past two years, the county said. Investigators are exploring connections between the new case and earlier cases, and genetic testing of the newest case is pending; two samples from earlier cases were genetically sequenced and found to be different strains, and previous testing did not show a genetic link between those cases. 'Bringing testing to the school is crucial to identify any latent TB infections and stop potential spread given the high number of cases in such a short timespan,' said Sayone Thihalolipavan, M.D., MPH, the County Public Health Officer.
The county reported annual active TB cases of 193 in 2020, rising to 265 in 2025, and estimated that about 175,000 people in San Diego County have latent TB infection. The County TB Control Program can be reached at 619-692-8621.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：圣迭戈县行政中心。照片：Tony Webster，CC BY 2.0，取自维基共享资源 / Photo: San Diego County Administration Center. By Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
