Staff and patients at a health clinic in Corona received word Friday that they may have been exposed to an individual diagnosed with tuberculosis and should take precautions to ensure they weren't infected.
According to the Riverside University Health System, the TB patient was in the Corona Family Care Center on Buena Vista Avenue earlier this month for an evaluation. The individual, whose identity was not released, underwent tests that confirmed the presence of active tuberculosis, county officials said.
Roughly 200 patients who visited the clinic on the day -- or in the days immediately after -- the infected party was there received notices stating they could have been exposed, with a recommendation that they be screened for TB, according to RUHS. Officials said the patient is now recuperating at home.
"While there is some risk of transmission, it is typically low," said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County's public health officer. "Still, we always work to ensure that anyone who may have been exposed is evaluated."
He said TB testing "is being recommended as a precautionary measure. Testing is quick and it provides peace of mind."
TB screening begins with a quick skin test. If that turns up positive, the person is asked to take a chest X-ray to confirm infection.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tuberculosis is spread through coughing, sneezing, singing and speaking. People cannot be infected through hand-shaking, kissing or handling bedding and toilet seats, according to the CDC.
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Health officials noted that some people can be infected with TB without manifesting symptoms, which include fever, coughing, night sweats and chest pain. Those with inactive TB are generally not infectious.
