Panic as world's deadliest infection is detected at Florida high school
A case of the world's deadliest infectious disease has been confirmed in a school in Florida.
State officials confirmed a person infected with active tuberculosis was recently present at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale.
Officials are yet to specify whether the person was a student, staff or faculty and when exactly they were present on the premises.
John Sullivan, chief of communications Broward County Public Schools confirmed in a statement that the officials will soon be on campus to provide testing to staff and students with parental consent.
School Principal Alfred Broomfield assured parents no action is needed by the community unless they are contacted.
Tuberculosis, also called TB, is a potentially fatal illness caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. It mainly affects the lungs and can also cause damage to the brain, spinal cord and lymph nodes.
It most commonly spreads through the air when infected people cough or speak.
Once known as consumption, TB is one of the deadliest diseases in the world and according to WHO, over 10 million people across the globe were diagnosed with the illness out of which nearly two million died.
In the US, over 10,000 Americans were diagnosed with the infection and 565 died in 2024, according to the CDC.
MR Broomfield said in a letter addressed to school parents: 'DOH-Broward and BCPS [Broward County Public Schools] have identified and notified those individuals who have been determined to be a close contact, at this time. No further action is needed unless you are contacted directly.'
Earlier, this year an 'unprecedented' tuberculosis outbreak occurred in Kansas - which left 147 people infected.
Out of this 67 people became actively ill and 80 contracted the illness but showed no symptoms. Two patients have died, as of now.
In 2024, Florida reported 681 tuberculosis (TB) cases - a nine percent increase from 2023.
As of 2025, TB cases are increasing both globally and in the United States due to higher international travel and migration, increased reporting, reactivation of latent TB infections and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Children, older people and those with weak immune systems are most at risk of contracting TB - leading to permanent lung damage, even after successful treatment.
TB is mostly spread through an exchange of germs containing the bacteria through the atmosphere.
Symptoms of active TB in the lungs usually begin gradually and worsen over a few weeks and signs can include coughing up blood or mucus, chest pains, pain with breathing or coughing, fever, chills and night sweats.
People can protect themselves against TB by getting the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, but it is not generally not on the vaccination schedule in the US due to the low risk of infection.
If infected, patients are asked to remain isolated and must take antibiotics for six months to treat TB.
If left untreated, the bacterial infection can damage the lungs and spread to other parts of their body such as the brain, kidneys and spine.
Some people become infected with TB germs that live in the body for years without causing illness. This is known as inactive TB or latent TB.
However without treatment, one in 10 people with inactive TB will get sick with active TB disease, according to the CDC.
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