Riverside County health officials have identified a high school student suffering from active tuberculosis, and they are working to identify other people who may have come in contact and require screenings for the disease.
In a statement shared Friday, Riverside County Department of Public Health officials said that a student at Indio High School fell ill with the disease in the springtime, ahead of the end of the 2023-24 school year. The school operates within the Desert Sands Unified School District in central Riverside County.
District officials are now working with public health officials to make sure that anyone who was in close physical proximity to the teenager in April and May is aware of the exposure risk.
“Our team is working closely with the school to identify anyone who may have had close contact with the student and ensure they receive appropriate testing and follow-up care,” said a statement from Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Chevinsky. “Given the rise in tuberculosis cases we’ve seen in our county, this is an important reminder that TB disease is both preventable and treatable.”
Health officials have not yet disclosed how many other students or staff members may have been exposed to the patient. They say that the teenager is under home isolation and is expected to fully recover.
“Desert Sands is committed to the health and safety of our students and staff,” said a statement from a DSUSD spokesperson. “We appreciate the work of public health officials as they guide our response and provide support to our school community.”
Counseling is also being provided for any student or staff member who says they feel unsettled by the news.
Tuberculosis is typically spread through coughing, singing or speaking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“People with active TB disease are most likely to spread TB germs to people they spend time with every day,” CDC officials said. They also noted that TB germs can stay in the air for several hours and spread more easily indoors or in places with poor circulation.
Symptoms of tuberculosis include a cough that persists for longer than three weeks, chest pain, coughing up blood or sputum, weakness or fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, chills, fever and night sweats. Some people can have inactive tuberculosis and not know. They are typically not infectious.
To screen for the disease, health officials use a cursory skin test. If that test produces a positive result, they will conduct a chest X-ray to confirm the infection.
Thus far in 2025, 26 Riverside County residents have been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Last year, the county saw 98 confirmed cases.