Tuberculosis case is confirmed at Florida high school. Here’s what to know

Florida health officials announced this week that an individual at Fort Lauderdale’s Dillard High School had contracted tuberculosis.

The case was reportedly in a student. Broward County school officials said some other students had also been identified as exposed to the bacterial infection, sparking fears of yet another recent U.S. outbreak. Few details have been released about the student involved.

“They did contact tracing and they have identified a certain number of kids that they are thinking have been exposed and they’re going to test those kids based on parental consent to see if they’re actually confirmed cases, also,” Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn told reporters.

Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, and kills more than one million people every year. While the U.S. has made major strides combatting tuberculosis, recent surges serve a reminder that the preventable illness has not yet been eradicated. Its symptoms can be severe, including coughing up blood, a fever and night sweats.

After taking a tour of the school, which includes 1,900 students, Hepburn said students did not seem particularly worried. Although, the case has had an impact on attendance levels.

Officials have said no action is needed unless students and their parents are contacted directly, according to ABC News.

Cases have been rising

The announcement comes as cases have been rising, with other health officials reporting infections in Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina and Kansas.

Last year, the U.S. saw more than 10,000 cases, according to federal data. That’s the highest level in over a dozen years. California, New York, and Texas topped the list. Florida had more than 600 cases in 2024, making it the state with the fourth-highest tally.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still considers the county to have a low risk of infection.

“It is unusual to have tuberculosis in our community,” Dr. Paul Eckardt told CBS News Miami.

It is preventable and curable

People who are exposed to tuberculosis may experience a weeks-long cough, weight loss, fever, chills, night sweats, chest pain and cough up blood.

The disease spreads through germs in the air, affecting the lungs, brain or spine. While anyone can become infected, some groups are more impacted than others, including people with weakened immune systems.

However, not everyone who is infected with tuberculosis germs becomes sick. People with inactive cases do not feel sick or have symptoms and cannot spread the germs to others, but the germs can live in their bodies for years. Without treatment, it can develop into active disease at any time.

Tuberculosis is both curable and preventable through different medicines. There are also treatment plans for tuberculosis that are resistant to drugs. Without treatment, it can be fatal.

“You can treat it,” but “it’s not easy to treat,” Eckardt told The Miami Herald. “You have to take a bunch of pills a day, but it’s treatable.”