You could have been exposed to TB at this San Diego homeless shelter
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego County health officials are warning anyone who might have been at Father Joe’s JKC Village Campus over the past six months of potential TB exposure.
The San Diego County communications office announced Thursday the county’s Tuberculosis Program is working with Father Joe’s Villages after they were notified of potential exposure of tuberculosis (TB) at the Father Joe’s Joan Kroc Center (JKC) between Oct. 13, 2023 and March 13, 2024.
Residents, employees, contractors and volunteers at Father Joe’s JKC Village Campus should be aware of any potential exposure during that time period.
TB is an airborne disease that is transmitted by breathing in bacteria from the air.
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People experiencing homelessness are at an increased risk for TB for a variety of reasons like being in congregate settings and challenges regarding access to healthcare.
“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., County public health officer. “Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away. This is called latent TB infection. Some who become infected with tuberculosis will become ill in the future, sometimes even years later, if their latent TB infection is not treated. For people who think they may have been exposed, blood tests and skin tests are an effective way to determine an infection.”
In the past few years, there were 193 TB cases reported in 2020; 201 in 2021; 208 in 2022; and 243 in 2023.
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Anyone wanting more information on this potential exposure should call the County Tuberculosis Control Program at 619-692-8621.
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