Long Beach, CA: 14 Cases of Tuberculosis Identified in Public Health Emergency

Long Beach, California United States of America
14 cases of tuberculosis identified in Long Beach, CA
9 people hospitalized
One person lost their life due to the outbreak
Population at risk includes those with significant barriers to care and weakened immune systems
Source traced back to a single room occupancy hotel
Long Beach, CA: 14 Cases of Tuberculosis Identified in Public Health Emergency

Tuberculosis Outbreak in Long Beach, California: A Public Health Emergency

A tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in Long Beach, California, has led to a public health emergency declaration by the city's health officer. As of now, 14 cases of TB have been identified and nine people have been hospitalized. One person has tragically lost their life due to this outbreak.

The source of the outbreak can be traced back to a single room occupancy hotel in Long Beach, where several individuals were infected. The name of the hotel is being withheld to protect patient privacy and comply with regulations.

The population at risk in this outbreak includes those with significant barriers to care such as homelessness, housing insecurity, mental illness, substance use, and serious medical comorbidities. Health department staff are currently screening contacts for TB based on symptoms, blood or skin tests, and chest X-rays.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. People with weakened immune systems such as those with HIV/AIDS have a higher risk of contracting TB.

The US incidence of tuberculosis increased slightly in 2022 after a decline in 2020 and an increase in 2021. Many cases may have been missed, misdiagnosed, or delayed during the pandemic.

Symptoms of TB include coughing up blood or mucus, chest pain, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. During primary TB infection, most people experience mild symptoms such as coughing or tiredness. During latent TB infection, there are no symptoms as the immune system keeps the bacteria under control.

During active TB disease, symptoms can progress outside of the lungs and affect other organs such as the kidneys, liver, heart muscles, and more. Active TB disease is curable with a standardized course of drugs that usually includes antibacterial medicines.

The resources required to screen and treat a large number of people necessitated the declaration of a public health emergency in order to quickly secure additional resources. The overall risk for the general public remains low, but it's important for individuals who may have been exposed to take precautions and get tested if they experience any symptoms.

The city is working closely with local and state health departments, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to contain the outbreak. The CDC recommends that people with TB infection finish their course of treatment to prevent the spread of disease.



Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • Are all 14 cases confirmed TB and not misdiagnosed?
  • Is the name of the hotel confirmed?

Sources

100%

  • Unique Points
    • As many as 170 people may have been exposed to tuberculosis from the outbreak.
    • There have been 14 cases of tuberculosis linked to a private single room occupancy hotel in Long Beach.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Around 170 people have likely been exposed to the illness.
    • , One person died and nine others were hospitalized due to a tuberculosis outbreak in Long Beach.
    • People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, have a higher risk of catching tuberculosis.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Approximately 170 people have been exposed to the disease.
    • The population at risk includes individuals with homelessness and housing insecurity, mental illness, substance use, and serious medical comorbidities.
    • Tuberculosis primarily affects the lungs and spreads easily where people gather in crowds or live in crowded conditions. People with HIV/AIDS and weakened immune systems have a higher risk of contracting tuberculosis.
    • There are three stages of tuberculosis: primary, latent, and active. During primary TB infection, most people experience mild symptoms such as coughing or tiredness. During latent TB infection, there are no symptoms as the immune system keeps the bacteria under control. During active TB disease, symptoms include coughing up blood and can progress outside of the lungs.
    • Health Department staff are screening contacts for tuberculosis via symptom review, blood or skin test, and chest x-ray. Those with active TB disease or latent TB infection will be provided treatment.
    • The resources required to screen and treat a large number of people necessitated the declaration of a public health emergency in order to quickly secure additional resources.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

96%

  • Unique Points
    • Tuberculosis was found among several people associated with a single room occupancy hotel in Long Beach.
    • The outbreak is currently isolated to a distinct population with significant barriers to care including homelessness, housing insecurity, mental illness, substance use and serious medical comorbidities.
    • Health department staff are screening contacts for TB based on symptoms, blood or skin tests and chest X-rays.
    • The US incidence of tuberculosis increased slightly in 2022 after a decline in 2020 and an increase in 2021. Many tuberculosis cases may have been missed, misdiagnosed or delayed during the pandemic.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (80%)
    The article provides factual information about the tuberculosis outbreak in Long Beach and the public health emergency declaration. However, there are instances of selective reporting and emotional manipulation that lower the score. The author states 'But overall, “the risk of TB for people who live, work, study or visit in Long Beach remains very low,”' implying that the risk is insignificant to the general public. However, she fails to mention that the population at risk has significant barriers to care and is not representative of the entire population. This selective reporting creates a false sense of security for readers. Additionally, statements like 'One person has died.' and 'nine of them had been hospitalized' are emotionally manipulative as they evoke fear and concern without providing necessary context or proportionality.
    • One person has died.
    • But overall, “the risk of TB for people who live, work, study or visit in Long Beach remains very low,”
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Tuberculosis was found among several people associated with a single room occupancy hotel in Long Beach.
    • The outbreak is currently isolated to a distinct population with significant barriers to care including homelessness, housing insecurity, mental illness, substance use and serious medical comorbidities.
    • Health department staff are screening contacts for TB based on symptoms, blood or skin tests and chest X-rays.
    • The US incidence of tuberculosis increased slightly in 2022 after a decline in 2020 and an increase in 2021. Many tuberculosis cases may have been missed, misdiagnosed or delayed during the pandemic.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication