FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day the Fresno County Health Department is reminding the public that TB remains a serious public health threat.
In 2022, public health officials say Fresno County had 31 newly diagnosed cases of active TB disease, a 31.1% decrease from 2021. About 6% of Californians are infected with latent tuberculosis infections (LTBI) and 87% of active TB cases were caused by a reactivation of LTBI.
Those at risk of TB are the immunocompromised, or people who have health issues with their immune system, intravenous drug users, homeless people, and people who immigrated from areas of the world with high rates of TB, according to Fresno County health.
Symptoms of TB include:
- A bad cough that lasts three weeks or longer and coughing up blood or sputum
- Pain in the chest
- Weakness or fatigue and unintended weight loss
- Fever and/or chills and sweating at night
The department of public health is reminding everyone that a TB infection can be treated to prevent it from becoming a disease. Those with TB are urged to take prescribed medicine from their medical provider to stop the spread of TB.
For testing locations or more information, people can visit the Fresno County website.
