All articles tagged with #tuberculosis
Public Health – Seattle & King County confirms an active TB case connected to Rainier Beach High School and is evaluating about 130 people who were exposed, with on-site TB testing; the patient is being treated and is no longer contagious, and officials emphasize that TB is less easily spread than COVID-19 or flu.
In northern Cameroon, patients with drug-resistant TB are kept in an isolation ward for months under a policy deemed obsolete in wealthier nations, reflecting resource gaps that prevent updating practice and separating families from care.
Suffolk County health officials say one active tuberculosis case has been identified in the Patchogue-Medford High School community; the investigation is ongoing, with free testing offered to potentially exposed individuals and tests conducted at the high school on Jan. 28 and 30, with a follow-up in March after the two‑month incubation period. No additional cases have been identified and privacy protections are in place.
San Francisco public health officials report a tuberculosis outbreak at Archbishop Riordan High School, with three active TB cases and 50 latent infections, leading to classroom cancellations and a hybrid return plan; officials say the risk to the wider population is low, even as California faces rising TB activity and emphasizes screening and treatment to reduce spread.
San Francisco's Archbishop Riordan High School will hold all classes online through February 9 due to three active tuberculosis cases and 50 latent cases in the school community, followed by two weeks of hybrid classes.
UK Health Security Agency data show tuberculosis cases rose in recent years, with 5,424 cases in 2025 (up 25% from 2022), though 2024 had the highest total at 5,480; the disease mainly attacks the lungs and is linked to poverty, with the North East seeing the strongest rise; 65 drug-resistant TB cases were reported; experts urge rapid diagnosis and treatment to curb spread, noting TB’s historic toll on figures like Emily Brontë and George Orwell.
Riordan High School in San Francisco canceled on-campus classes after the SF Department of Public Health confirmed three active TB cases since November. The school moved to online/hybrid learning while testing and contact tracing proceed; tested students can begin hybrid online/in-person classes on Feb. 9, with a full hybrid schedule through Feb. 20 and non-tested staff or students barred from campus afterward.
An outbreak at Amazon's Coventry warehouse led to 10 workers testing positive for latent tuberculosis among about 3,000 staff. Latent TB is not contagious, and those affected are receiving treatment as NHS and UKHSA expand testing. The site remains open, but unions and local MPs are calling for stronger infection controls and worker protections, highlighting ongoing debates about warehouse safety; TB cases are rising in England, with authorities advising screening for those exposed.
An investigation is ongoing into a second tuberculosis case involving a Pitt County student at D.H. Conley High School, with free testing and treatment being offered to those exposed, following a previous case at Farmville Middle School.
Despite funding challenges, 2025 saw significant health victories including the early achievement of vaccinating 86 million girls against cervical cancer, the development of a new malaria treatment, the elimination of measles in several countries, the introduction of a promising HIV prevention drug, and advancements in tuberculosis treatment, all contributing to saving millions of lives worldwide.
Despite progress in reducing TB incidence and deaths, global efforts are threatened by stagnant funding and inequitable access to care, risking reversal of gains in the fight against TB, which remains a major health threat with over 1.2 million lives lost annually.
The WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 provides an updated assessment of the TB epidemic worldwide, highlighting progress in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment based on data from 184 countries, covering over 99% of the global population affected by TB.
Scientists at MIT have developed a promising new tuberculosis vaccine that targets specific protein fragments to trigger a strong immune response, potentially offering better protection for adults and reducing the global burden of TB. Although still in early trial phases, this breakthrough could revolutionize TB prevention, especially in regions where the current BCG vaccine is less effective, and help combat antibiotic resistance and transmission.
MIT researchers have identified potential new targets for a tuberculosis vaccine by screening bacterial proteins and testing immune responses, aiming to develop a more effective vaccine than the current BCG, with promising results from mRNA vaccine experiments in human cells.
Researchers have developed a promising new compound, CMX410, that targets a vital enzyme in tuberculosis bacteria, showing effectiveness against drug-resistant strains and offering hope for improved treatments for the deadliest infectious disease.