Salinas courtrooms exposed to tuberculosis, health officials say
Health Department seeks individuals who were exposed to tuberculosis and is now offering free screening to potentially exposed individuals.
The Monterey County Health Department said after conducting an investigation they were able to determine that people who were present at the Department courtroom 11 and Department courtroom 8 of the Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas may have been in contact with a person with active tuberculosis.
Officials said the dates and times of that potential exposure was at the Salinas Courthouse, courtroom 11, September 13, 2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Salinas Courthouse, courtroom 8, October 28, 2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Officials said there is no risk of exposure for individuals who visited other courtrooms or areas of the Salinas Courthouse on September 13, and October 28. There is no risk of exposure for individuals who visited Salinas Courthouse courtrooms 8 and 11 at other dates and times, according to officials.
Complying with the federal and state laws the Health Department said it will not release any information about the individuals who are involved in the investigation.
“The risk of becoming infected with TB bacteria is very low for people who were present at the Salinas Courthouse during these dates and times,” said Dr. Edward Moreno, Monterey County Health Officer and Director of Public Health.
The Monterey County Health Department will offer free TB screenings for individuals that were present at the Salinas Courthouse during the specific dates and times listed above.
Free screening at the Monterey County Health Department will be on the following dates and times:
February 7 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
February 9 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
February 12 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
In a press release the Monterey County Health Department said that TB is:
TB is a disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There are two types of TB: active TB disease and latent (dormant) TB infection. People with TB who become sick have active TB disease. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body including the kidneys, spine, and brain. People with TB who are not sick have latent TB infection and cannot pass the disease to others.
TB is spread from person to person through the air when someone who is sick with active TB disease coughs, laughs, sings, or sneezes. TB is much harder to spread than the common cold or the flu. You cannot get TB from shaking someone’s hand, sharing food, touching clothing or using a toilet. A person is also unlikely to get TB through brief, casual contact such as passing someone in the hallway or spending a few minutes talking with someone who has TB disease.
Symptoms of TB disease depend on where in the body the TB bacteria are growing. TB disease in the lungs may cause symptoms like a bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer, pain in the chest, and coughing up blood or phlegm from deep inside the lungs. Other symptoms of TB disease include weakness or fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, chills, fever, and night sweats.
