NEWS
Tuberculosis Information for the General Public
Department of Public HealthThe San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) would like to share information about tuberculosis (TB) as our response to the outbreak at Archbishop Riordan High School (ARHS) continues. SFDPH is currently working closely with ARHS to have all staff and students tested for TB.
We want to emphasize that at this time, the risk to the general public is low. If there are any actions that people outside the ARHS community — including other schools — should take in relation to this outbreak, we will let them know directly.
About TB
TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that can be spread through the air when a person with active TB in their lungs coughs, speaks, or breathes near others over an extended period of time. The most common way to become infected with TB is by spending an extensive amount of time in close contact with someone who has active TB.
Many who contract TB will initially have no symptoms and are not contagious. This is called latent TB. People with latent TB may not show symptoms for months or even years. However, the infection may develop into active TB — a serious illness — if left undetected and untreated. Therefore, it is important to get tested and treated if you are at risk of TB. TB can be cured with medication.
While there is a vaccine for TB called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), it is not used for outbreak management because it is not effective for preventing the type of TB that is infectious. The BCG vaccine is not commonly prescribed in the United States nor required to attend school in California. There is currently no recommendation for the ARHS community or the general public to seek the BCG vaccine in relation to this outbreak.
To learn more about TB, please see these resources:
San Francisco Department of Public Health