A public health emergency was declared in Southern California after a tuberculosis outbreak left at least one person dead and nine hospitalized.
Health officials said the outbreak was localized to guests at a single-room hotel in Long Beach, which the city’s health department declined to identify.
A total of 14 cases of tuberculosis were confirmed as of Monday, but investigators also identified another 170 people who may have been exposed, the city of Long Beach revealed.
Dr. Anissa Davis, the city’s health officer, declared a local public health emergency Thursday in an effort to “strengthen the city’s preparedness and ability to respond” to the localized outbreak.
Officials insist that the risk of exposure to the general public is “low,” noting that the outbreak is restricted to a “distinct population” of people with “significant barriers to care, including homelessness and housing insecurity, mental illness, substance abuse, and serious medical comorbidities.” .’
Tuberculosis is a serious disease that usually attacks the lungs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacteria is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
A public health emergency has been declared in Long Beach, California, after a localized tuberculosis outbreak left at least one person dead and nine hospitalized. Shown is a file photo of downtown Long Beach, as seen in February 2023.
A total of 14 cases of tuberculosis had been confirmed as of Monday, but researchers also identified another 170 people who may have been exposed. Pictured is a 3D illustration of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria.
The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services said people who stayed at the private hotel may have been exposed to tuberculosis and may have been contacted by the city.
About 170 people who were potentially exposed have been identified and are in the process of being tested, the city revealed in a news release.
As of April 29, there have been 14 confirmed cases associated with the outbreak, but officials expect that number, as well as the number of additional exposures, to increase.
“Those who have active TB disease or a latent TB infection will receive treatment,” the city said.
Officials declined to reveal the name or location of the hotel linked to the outbreak “to protect patient privacy and comply with HIPAA regulations,” but said the facility is private and not operated by the city.
The health authority informed Los Angeles Times that the hotel was not in quarantine and remains open. It is unclear if the residents who were staying there were moved.
Long Beach officials declared a public health emergency Thursday afternoon, citing how “the level of care needed to contain the outbreak is far beyond the scope of the department’s daily work.”
Tuberculosis is a serious disease that usually attacks the lungs, according to the CDC. The bacteria is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. The photo shows a file photograph of a chest x-ray of the patient with tuberculosis.
Officials say the declaration, which will be formally voted on by the City Council on Tuesday, “will expedite the Department’s ability to quickly secure resources and take additional steps to contain the outbreak.”
“The population of interest requires outreach and engagement, requiring extensive staff time to conduct multiple interactions,” health officials said. ‘The Department has exhausted its resources to manage this response without an emergency declaration.
«Detection and treatment of such a large number of people requires many resources. Declaring a public health emergency expedites the department’s ability to quickly secure resources and take additional measures to contain the outbreak.
The health department has been authorized to provide temporary housing, food and transportation to those who were exposed to the bacteria. The authority also deals with the treatment of tuberculosis.
Neighboring Los Angeles County has not had any cases linked to the outbreak in Long Beach, but its disease control office intends to “support Long Beach” with the outbreak, a spokesperson told the LA Times.
DailyMail.com has contacted the health departments of Long Beach and Los Angeles counties for comment.
The outbreak comes as tuberculosis cases appear to be increasing across the country.
Last year, the United States recorded the highest number of tuberculosis cases in a decade, a CDC report showed, and 40 states reported an increase in the disease.
More than 9,600 cases of tuberculosis were reported in 2023, an increase of 16 percent compared to 2022 and the highest number of cases recorded since 2013.
Cases reportedly decreased sharply at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, but officials say they have been increasing since then.
The number of cases in California increased 15 percent in 2023, compared to the previous year. The state Department of Public Health said in March that the increase in tuberculosis cases was the largest year-over-year increase since 1989.
A total of 2,113 cases of tuberculosis were recorded in California last year, about the same number reported in 2019, before the pandemic.
The outbreak in Long Beach follows a recent tuberculosis outbreak at immigrant facilities in Chicago.
Last month, the Chicago Department of Public Health revealed that city officials were urgently beginning contact tracing after cases of tuberculosis were detected at an immigration facility in the city.
The Chicago Department of Public Health did not reveal the exact number of cases or which shelter they originated from, but confirmed that “a small number of cases” were reported “in a few different shelters” around the city.
The outbreak in Chicago It came after a recent measles outbreak in the city’s shelters. Officials said at the time that “these outbreaks occur in close quarters, people living close to each other” and reaffirmed that the public did not need to panic.
More than 9,600 cases of tuberculosis were reported in 2023, an increase of 16 percent compared to 2022 and the highest number of cases recorded since 2013.
Tuberculosis is estimated to kill approximately 1.6 million people each year worldwide, making it one of the leading causes of death globally.
The infection is transmitted through patients’ coughs and sneezes and most commonly affects the lungs, although it can reach other parts of the body.
Early symptoms of the disease include cough, fever, night sweats and weight loss.
Severe tuberculosis infection can cause death by destroying organs from the inside, causing them to bleed and fill with fluid.
Tuberculosis is particularly dangerous for immunocompromised people, such as those receiving chemotherapy, and for those who do not have access to good medical care.
But the infection can usually be cured with antibiotics. The BCG vaccine protects people from contracting tuberculosis, but it is only given to those who are most at risk of contracting the infection.