SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a case of contagious tuberculosis was identified at a popular Yolo County tribal casino, Californians may be concerned whether they’re at risk of catching the deadly disease.

The individual with contagious TB was recently detected at Cache Creek Casino Resort, prompting Yolo County health officials to conduct contact tracing to find people who had close contact with the infected person, according to a statement from the casino.

“Those identified will be contacted directly and evaluated for TB infection,” casino officials said in a health notice.

Tuberculosis cases are increasing again in the United States, according to preliminary data released in March from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last year, 10,347 TB cases were reported, representing an 8% increase from the 9,622 cases identified in the U.S. in 2023, according to CDC data.

Is tuberculosis on the rise in California? And how can you keep from getting sick?

Here’s what to know about the highly contagious disease:

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

TB primarily affects the lungs and can spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain, spine, lymph nodes and kidneys.

Not everyone infected with tuberculosis becomes ill immediately. Some people have active tuberculosis while others have inactive or latent TB.

However, even those with a latent infection can develop active TB over time and get sick from the disease, according to the CDC.

The CDC estimated up to 13 million people in the United States have inactive tuberculosis.

What are tuberculosis symptoms?

According to the CDC, common symptoms of tuberculosis disease in the lungs can include:

•A bad cough that lasts three weeks or longer

•Pain in the chest

•Coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm) from deep inside the lungs

•Weakness or fatigue

•No appetite

•Chills

•Fever

•Sweating

Symptoms of TB in other parts of the body depend on which area is affected.

Tuberculosis disease of the lymph nodes may cause red or purple swelling under the skin, and TB disease of the kidney can lead to blood in the urine.

Can you die from tuberculosis?

“If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal,” the CDC said, calling it “one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers.”

How does tuberculosis spread?

The infectious disease is mostly spread through coughing, Dean Blumberg, the chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health, previously told The Sacramento Bee.

Tuberculosis disseminates through the air from one infected person to others through coughing, speaking or singing.

Tuberculosis is more likely to spread indoors in rooms with limited air circulation, according to the CDC. However, short interactions with infected people rarely result in disease, Blumberg said.

“Casual contact would be unlikely to result in transmission. It’s usually more prolonged intimate contact,” he said previously. “People that you’re living with or are spending a lot of time with for example, going to school or camp where you’re sharing a cabin, those sorts of situations.”

Are TB cases increasing in California?

Tuberculosis cases in California have remained relatively steady around 2,000 to 2,200 cases per year since 2012, besides a short drop-off amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.

Its most recent data from 2024 showed there were 2,100 TB cases reported in California last year, representing only a slight decrease from the 2,110 cases identified in 2023.

The state’s tuberculosis rate was 5.4 cases per 100,000 people — nearly double the nationwide incidence rate of 2.9 in 2023, the California Department of Public Health said on its website.

In 2024, four new tuberculosis outbreaks were reported, along with 12 ongoing outbreaks involving at least four people.

The percentage of people who contract and eventually die as a result of TB has been “significantly increasing” in California, the state’s public health department said. In 2010, 8.4% of people infected with tuberculosis died, compared to 14% of TB cases in 2022.

Now, tuberculosis kills more than 200 Californians each year, according to the California Department of Public Health.

However, the agency said most Californians are not at risk of contracting TB.

More than 80% of TB cases were due to latent tuberculosis infections progressing to active tuberculosis, which means they could have been prevented with testing​ and treatment, the public health department said. Another 8% of cases were found in people who came to California with active tuberculosis, and 9% of infections were from recent transmission, according to state data.

Who is at higher risk of contracting tuberculosis?

People with compromised immune systems and those who have recently immigrated to the United States are more prone to contracting tuberculosis, according to the California Department of Public Health.

According to Healthline, other factors can also increase your risk of developing active TB:

•Living in overcrowded conditions

•Traveling to countries with high rates of TB

•Frequent close contact with someone that has active TB disease

•Working in health care settings that serve high-risk populations

•Having a weakened immune system due to cancer, HIV or other conditions

These groups should get tested regularly for TB, according to the CDC.

How is tuberculosis treated?

Treatment is available for people with latent and active tuberculosis, according to the CDC.

People with no TB symptoms can complete a three, four, six or nine-month treatment plan that includes a combination of medications, the CDC advised.

Treatment for active TB patients can last up to nine months, the CDC said. Patients are given a combination of antibiotics since the pathogen can become resistant to medication.

How can I avoid getting TB?

“It’s very difficult to try to avoid (tuberculosis),” Blumberg said, because it can take years for someone infected with TB to show symptoms.

The best advice is to stay away from people with prolonged coughs or fevers, but that can be difficult if they’re a family member or they live in your household, Blumberg added.

The CDC advised people who have been exposed to active TB to contact a health care provider or a local health department.

“Really the mainstay of prevention of tuberculosis is relying on public health to detect cases, to make sure they’re diagnosed appropriately to make sure they’re then isolated and treated,” Blumberg previously told The Bee.

Can I get vaccinated against Tuberculosis?

The Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine is administered by doctors to prevent tuberculosis infection.

However, it is not typically used in the United States, according to the CDC

Instead, the TB vaccine is given to infants and children in countries where tuberculosis is common to protect kids from contracting fatal forms of the disease, such as TB meningitis, the CDC said.

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