On July 1, 2015, the San Diego Union Tribune (
visit link) ran the following story:
"2 FAIRGROUNDS FOOD WORKERS SICK WITH TB
By Paul Sisson | 5:06 a.m. July 1, 2015
Two food-service workers at the Del Mar Fairgrounds have been diagnosed with tuberculosis, the county’s Health and Human Services Agency said Tuesday.
Other employees with Premier Food Service may have been exposed to the disease between Feb. 5 and June 23. They have been offered testing to determine if they were infected, and public-health labs are working to confirm that the two cases are related.
There is no danger of the public contracting an infection from eating food the workers prepared because the disease infects the respiratory — not digestive — tract, said Dr. Kathleen Moser, chief of the county’s Tuberculosis Control Program.
The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. These airborne spores have a difficult time penetrating the body’s multilayered defense systems.
This means, Moser explained, that it takes prolonged exposure for the bacteria to move from one person to another.
“It’s really those people who have the longest and closest contact in an enclosed space who have the greatest chance of infection. We’re talking days, weeks or even months of exposure to cause an infection,” she added.
Because the infected workers did not frequent enclosed public spaces, there is no risk to visitors.
“A general fairgoer has no reason to be worried,” Moser said.
Tuberculosis symptoms include a bad cough that lasts three weeks or longer, chest pain, coughing up blood or sputum, weakness or fatigue, weight loss, lack of appetite, chills, fever and night sweats.
Medication is available to treat a tuberculosis infection once it has been detected. Left untreated, the disease can be fatal.
paul.sisson@utsandiego.com"