K‑12 Schools and Disease Outbreaks

San Francisco’s Department of Public Health has confirmed a tuberculosis outbreak linked to Archbishop Riordan High School, issuing a Jan. 29 health advisory after diagnosing three active TB cases among people associated with the school since November 2025 and identifying more than 50 latent infections in the school community. Officials say all students and staff must undergo TB evaluation regardless of symptoms and will need repeat assessments every eight weeks until the outbreak is declared over, while sick individuals are being told to stay home and obtain medical clearance before returning. TB, an airborne bacterial infection that primarily attacks the lungs, is curable but can be fatal; health authorities note San Francisco’s TB case‑fatality rate exceeds 10% and that about 25% of people globally carry latent infection, 5–10% of whom will develop active, contagious disease. SFDPH stresses that risk to the general public is currently considered low and that evaluation and preventive treatment are being arranged for those with latent infection, but the cluster underscores how a single school‑based outbreak can ripple through an urban community. For parents and school systems nationwide, the case is a reminder of the need for robust TB screening, ventilation, and clear outbreak protocols even for diseases many Americans assume are relics of the past.