Person diagnosed with tuberculosis in Camden County, New Jersey
A person living in Camden County, New Jersey, was recently diagnosed with tuberculosis, the health department said.
Camden County health officials said the resident went to a local hospital on Feb. 12 with symptoms consistent with tuberculosis. Lab testing confirmed the active diagnosis. The Camden County Department of Health and Human Services was notified on Feb. 17.
The patient was placed in isolation at the hospital and began treatment for the disease two days later on Feb. 19.
"This is a continuing investigation, and we are actively working with the New Jersey Department of Health to identify individuals who may have been exposed," Commissioner Jennifer Cooley Fleisher, liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement. "The individual's household members are in the process of being tested for TB, at this time, no household members or close contacts have presented with TB associated symptoms."
Tuberculosis is spread from person to person through the air. While many people who have a TB infection never develop the disease, infected individuals are more likely to develop the disease than others, the health department said. If not treated, tuberculosis can be fatal.
Symptoms of active TB in the lungs include a bad cough that lasts for three weeks or more, chest pain and coughing up blood. While TB usually grows in the lungs, health officials say the disease can affect other parts of the body, like the brain, kidneys and spine.
Other TB symptoms include weakness and fatigue, weight loss, appetite loss, chills, fever, and night sweats.
If you have been exposed to active TB, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends contacting your doctor or local or state health department about getting a TB blood or skin test.
