Health officials in Long Beach have declared a public health emergency after one person died, and 9 people were hospitalized with tuberculosis (TB), an outbreak associated with a single-room occupancy hotel in Long Beach, California.
“As of April 29, 14 cases of TB disease have been associated with this outbreak; nine people have been hospitalized at some point in their illness; and one person has died,” the City of Long Beach said in a news release.
The risk to the general public is low, and currently isolated to a distinct population which includes those who have “significant barriers to care, including homelessness and housing insecurity, mental illness, substance abuse and serious medical comorbidities.”
The current move to declare a health emergency can help strengthen the city’s preparedness and ability to respond to the outbreak, according to the city’s Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis.
The officials have not revealed the identity of the hotel to protect patient privacy. However, they confirmed that it is a private hotel, not under contract with the City of Long Beach.
Meanwhile, an investigation revealed that approximately 170 people have likely been exposed to TB. The health department is conducting screening among those who stayed at the hotel at the time and their contacts who are likely exposed.
During the screening, if patients are diagnosed with active TB disease or latent TB infection, they will be provided treatment, officials said. Treatment typically involves the use of antibiotics.
TB is the second leading cause of death from infectious disease after COVID-19, causing a total of 1.3 million mortalities in 2022. Although transmitted through droplets, the bacteria causing TB does not quickly spread like the COVID-19 virus. The infection typically spreads through prolonged exposure. Living in crowded and poorly ventilated environments raises the risk of transmission.
Even if a person gets exposed to TB, they may not become infected and even…
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