County Issues Tuberculosis Warning for UCSD

The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) issued a news release on Wednesday warning of possible tuberculosis exposure to anyone who has visited the UC San Diego campus between January 25 and May 15.

According to an article by The San Diego Union-Tribune, one infected person was on campus during the given period. Public health nurses have talked to and notified those who are at risk and hope that the news release will inform those who may have shared a public space with the individual. However, due to health privacy concerns, the nurses cannot release any information about the infected individual.

“Testing is recommended for all those exposed to assure they are not infected, since they may not have symptoms,” said county public health officer Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., in the HHSA news release. “For anyone infected, early diagnosis and prompt treatment can prevent disease.”

According to the HHSA, tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious disease that generally affects a person’s lungs and is usually transmitted from person to person through coughs and sneezes. Some symptoms include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss. Although TB is contagious, most people who are exposed do not become infected.

The UCSD Student Health Center will be providing free TB testing to identified students starting May 30 on Library Walk. Identified faculty and campus staff will receive free testing by UCSD Occupational Health.

For more information, please call:

• UC San Diego Student Health Services (858) 534-3300
• UC San Diego Occupational Health (858) 822-5340
• County TB Control Program (619) 692-8621

Matthew Rom-Toribio is an Assistant News Editor at The Triton. You can follow him @MT2o.