Two employees of Premier Food Services diagnosed with tuberculosis

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Two employees with Premier Food Services were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) Tuesday and others may have been exposed.

San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency is working closely with Premier management to notify individuals who work at the company’s facilities at the Del Mar Fairgrounds who were potentially exposed between Feb. 5 and June 23.

Health officials say there is no indication anyone in the general public are at risk for exposure.

“TB usually requires many hours of close, sustained indoor contact to spread to others, so most people who are exposed do not develop the disease,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “TB is not spread through casual contact, such as shaking someone’s hand or sharing food.”

Anyone who feels they may have been exposed can be tested by Premier. Further testing is being conducted to determine if the two cases are related.

“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss,” Wooten said. “Most people who are exposed to TB do not develop the disease, but when it does occur, it can be treated and cured with medication; that’s why it’s important to identify those who have been exposed.”

TB in not uncommon in the San Diego region but has been decreasing in recent years. To date, there have been 89 cases reported in 2015. In 2014, 220 cases were reported in the county.

For more information on this potential exposure, call the County TB Control Program at (619) 692-8621.