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San Francisco High School TB Outbreak Prompts Targeted New Testing

Targeted screening reflects a shift from mass testing to focused follow-up of likely exposures.

Overview

  • Health officials began a new targeted round of tuberculosis testing at Archbishop Riordan High School that focuses on people with recent exposure or newly flagged latent results.
  • San Francisco’s health department says this is not a return to mass testing and describes the step as precautionary as contact tracing continues.
  • Through April 22, 96% of the roughly 1,100-person school community had been screened, 18% tested positive, and seven active cases and 241 latent infections were identified along with four pending X-rays.
  • March testing showed a strong drop in transmission, with 95% of latent cases now in treatment and all active cases under care.
  • The state health department says the last infectious person was on campus Feb. 19, with TB clearance required since March 9 for classes and school events.