An unidentified person at Cal State San Marcos had tuberculosis and may have exposed others from the beginning of the semester through most of October, the county of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency announced today.
The individual could have exposed others to the disease between Aug. 25 and Oct. 29, according to the HHSA. The agency wouldn't say if the patient was a student, instructor or staff member.
Free testing for students who may have been exposed is scheduled to begin Monday at the Student Health & Counseling Services center on campus.
"Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss," said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county public health officer. "Most people who are exposed to TB do not develop the disease, but when it does occur, it can be treated and cured with medication — that's why it's important to identify those who have been exposed."
The county said tuberculosis is not uncommon in the San Diego region, but the number of cases has been decreasing in recent years.
To date, 160 cases have been reported in 2014. In 2013, 206 cases were reported in the county, the lowest number since local TB cases peaked at 469 in 1993.
