After Sachem East high schooler's infection, what to know about tuberculosis

A student at Sachem East High School was treated for tuberculosis, district officials said, sparking questions about the disease, which can be fatal if left untreated. Here are some answers to common questions about tuberculosis.

What is tuberculosis (TB)?

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease spread through the air that can impact the lungs, lymph nodes, bones, joints, brain and spine, according to the New York State Department of Health. It is caused by a germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

People who are infected can have either latent TB, meaning they are not currently sick but could develop the illness, or active TB. People who are sick can infect others. Not everyone with active TB has symptoms, experts said.

Both conditions require treatment. TB can be fatal if left untreated.

What are the symptoms of TB?

Coughing, with blood-tinged sputum (phlegm that comes from deep inside the lungs); fever, weight loss and night sweats are the four major symptoms, according to Dr. Jonathan Garellek, chief of infectious diseases at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream hospital.

How common is TB in the United States?

There were 9,633 cases of TB disease reported in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up from 8,332 in 2022.

In New York State, there were 714 cases in 2022, 894 in 2023 and 1,089 in 2024. The majority of cases were in the five boroughs of New York City. In 2024, there were 48 cases in Nassau County and 52 in Suffolk County, according to state figures.

Cases locally and nationally dropped during the COVID-9 pandemic and are rising to pre-pandemic levels.

Who is at risk for TB?

"Tuberculosis is not endemic in the United States, which means children will not randomly pick it up because they go to the park every day," Garellek said.

For example, if someone with active TB disease coughs out particles, a person nearby can contract the infection but usually after they have been exposed for a prolonged period of time, generally around eight hours, he said.

"Someone living in the same home with a child with pulmonary tuberculosis would be at a high risk," Garellek said.

Cases in the U.S. generally involve people who come from countries where TB is more prevalent, he said.

The CDC said TB is common in some countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Other people at risk include those who live in homeless shelters and prisons; those who recently spent time with someone who has active TB and people whose immune systems are compromised because of health conditions such as diabetes, cancer and HIV, and the medications they take to treat these conditions.

How do you test for TB?

There are two tests used to detect TB. A blood test checks to see how a person’s immune system reacts to the germs that cause TB, according to the CDC.

Another test monitors how a person reacts after a small solution is placed under the skin, usually on the forearm. It takes about 48 to 72 hours to see if a reaction occurs on the skin.

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.