Tuberculosis outbreak recorded at Bay Area private high school as all classes suspended

Classes at a San Francisco Catholic high school have been suspended after dozens of students and staff were found to have a latent form of tuberculosis.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health issued a health advisory regarding the outbreak at Archbishop Riordan High School, where over 50 people have latent tuberculosis and at least three have active cases.

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that attack the lungs, and is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The disease can only be spread when active. In the latent stage, TB is not contagious, the public health agency noted.

In a letter to the community, Archbishop Riordan High School President Tim Reardon said that in-person classes would be suspended and students would study remotely through February 9, with a hybrid model lasting through February 20, according to SFGate.

After that date, only students and staff who have tested negative will be allowed on campus, according to the report.

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The first of the three active cases of TB was reported in November. In addition to ongoing testing, health officials are urging anyone with the active for of the disease to stay home.

Meanwhile, testing at the school will continue until the outbreak is over.

Health officials issued the advisory to warn local doctors and medical professionals and to help prevent the disease from spreading. The agency noted in the news release that the risk to the general population is “low.”

Symptoms of TB can include fever, chills, coughing, coughing up blood and weight loss. TB tends to affect the respiratory system, but can move into other organs, sometimes requiring hospitalization. The disease can also be fatal, health officials warned.

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Both active and latent TB can be treated with antibiotics, though the treatment takes months to complete.

“Active TB is treatable and curable with appropriate antibiotics if it is identified promptly; some cases will require hospitalization and there is a greater than 10 percent case fatality rate in San Francisco,” the San Francisco Department of Public Health said.

California has higher rates of TB than the rest of the country, with an incidence of 5.4 cases per 100,000 people. The national average was about three cases per 100,000 people in 2024, according to SFGate.

Even still, the disease is relatively rare in the state, with 17 new or ongoing outbreaks of four or more people reported in 2024, according to the report.