MIAMI (WSVN) - A case of active tuberculosis has been confirmed at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, federal officials said Friday.
According to a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, one person at the facility tested positive for TB on April 25. The Bureau said it is working closely with the local health department to follow CDC guidelines and prevent further spread among staff, inmates, and the surrounding community.
This comes just days after a student at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale was diagnosed with active TB, prompting a response from the Florida Department of Health and Broward County officials. The student had recently been on campus, and letters were sent to students and staff who may have been exposed.
Health officials say tuberculosis is a highly contagious bacterial infection spread through the air, usually affecting the lungs but capable of impacting the brain, kidneys, or spine.
Students at Dillard High expressed concern after learning about the case, with some saying they weren’t fully aware of the seriousness of the disease until classmates received notifications and began researching it themselves.
TB cases have risen in the U.S. in recent years. The CDC reported a 9% increase in Florida last year. While TB is vaccine-preventable, the vaccine is not commonly administered in the U.S., where the disease had been in decline for decades until recent upticks.
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