(Location: California, USA)
Every now and then, the local news & local government announces that a TB case has been identified in the community, and it gives a list of possible locations & times at which people maybe have been exposed to it.
Example: Active TB case identified at X Gym. Possible locations include ABC train route, DEF school, XYZ grocery store…
Why is contact tracing for TB so much more serious than the flu or common cold?
In: Biology
TB spreads airborne (coughing, sneezing) so it’s quite infectious if given some time with the sick person. It also always exists among some distinct groups of population, especially the homeless, heroin addicts and incarcerated. So, while virtually non-existent among *general* population, it takes very little for it to get into masses. And as other replies have said, cases can be severe to lethal.
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