San Diego County announced Thursday that a passenger using the Metropolitan Transit System in the South Bay has been diagnosed with infectious lung disease tuberculosis.
As a result, the county Health and Human Services Agency is working with MTS officials to notify people who may have been exposed.
Passengers who used the following routes from February 16 to July 16 may have been exposed and are at risk of infection:
- Bus Route 950 from Otay Mesa Transit Center to Iris Avenue Transit Center Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 6 am;
- Bus Route 950 from the Iris Avenue Transit Center to the Otay Mesa Transit Center from 3 to 5 pm;
- Blue Line Trolley from Iris Avenue to H Street from 5 to 6:30 am, and
- Blue Line Trolley from H Street to Iris Avenue from 2:30 to 5:00 pm
Affected passengers are encouraged to consult with their medical provider or contact the county’s Tuberculosis Control Program at 619-692-8621 to schedule testing. MTS employees will be evaluated by their occupational health program.
“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, county public health officer. “Most people who are exposed do not develop the disease and TB can be treated and cured with medication.”
The number of annual tuberculosis cases in San Diego County has been declining since the early 1990s and has leveled off in recent years. 264 cases were reported in 2019, 192 cases in 2020, and 201 cases in 2021.
So far, 97 cases have been reported in 2022.
– City News Service
