The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency identified a passenger using the Metropolitan Transit System in the south bay diagnosed with infectious pulmonary tuberculosis(TB), the agency announced Thursday.
County health officials are working with MTS officials to notify those who were possibly exposed and advise those impacted to consult with their medical provider or contact Public Health for testing. According to the county’s HHSA, riders using the following routes between Feb. 16 to July 16 were potentially exposed and are at risk for infection:
- Bus route 950 from Otay Mesa Transit Center toward Iris Avenue Transit Center Monday through Friday between 4:30 a.m. to 6 a.m.
- Bus route 950 from Iris Avenue Transit Center to Otay Mesa Transit Center from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Blue Line Trolley from Iris Avenue to H Street from 5 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.
- Blue Line Trolley from H Street to Iris Avenue from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Impacted employees within MTS will be identified for testing by the agency’s occupational health program.
According to the County HHSA, TB usually affects the lungs and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs. Not everyone infected with the bacteria becomes sick. Those who have been infected, but are not sick, have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Persons with LTBI can become sick with active TB in the future if left untreated.
“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County Public Health Officer. “Most people who are exposed do not develop the disease and TB can be treated and cured with medication.”
San Diego county reported 201 new active TB cases in 2021, compared to 192 in 2020. The annual TB incidence rate in the county last year was 6.1 cases per 100,000 persons, which is slightly higher than in 2020. However, it is a decrease of more than 20 percent from the prior 5 years.
“Multiple pandemic-related factors likely contributed to the 2020-2021 decrease, including decreased care seeking; decreased detection in care; masking; and changes in travel, migration, and time spent outside the home,” County HSSA officials wrote.
Individuals who would like more information on this potential exposure are asked to call the County TB Control Program at (619) 692-8621. Click here to view the most recent statistics on Tuberculosis in San Diego County.
