Marin County is seeing an uptick in active tuberculosis (TB) cases, moving from an average of 5-6 cases annually to nearly 14, including younger populations and U.S.-born citizens. Health professionals, including Dr. Lisa Santora and Dr. Derice Seid, highlight the contagious nature of TB, which can be mistaken for common colds. Isolation rooms and contact tracing are crucial in controlling its spread. Concern exists over potential cuts to state and federal funding impacting ongoing screening efforts as California records approximately 2,000 TB cases yearly.
"Those who were born in or travel to countries where TB is common can be at risk. Patients with latent TB don't always show symptoms but active cases do."
"Normally every year, we see about five to six cases of active tuberculosis in our county. Usually, it's among people who live in nursing homes, but that's changing."
"The problem with TB, is sometimes it looks like a common cold that won't go away."
"Contact tracing is also done to reduce the spread. Tuberculosis can be treated with antibiotics, but I worry additional cuts in funding could put screenings out of reach."
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