Health officials in Multnomah County have reported a confirmed case of active tuberculosis (TB) at Lane Middle School in Southeast Portland. The individual may have been contagious between September 3, 2024, and May 1, 2025. The county’s health department is reaching out to those who might have been exposed via an email notification. TB remains one of the leading infectious disease causes of death globally and has seen a resurgence in recent years.
TB is a bacterial infection that generally spreads through prolonged face-to-face contact with an infected person. Health officials emphasized that outbreaks in schools are uncommon, and even individuals living with someone who has active TB may not contract the disease. The bacteria do not spread through casual encounters, such as passing someone in a hallway. The health department has not yet determined how many close contacts of the infected individual have been exposed.
Officials are collaborating with the school to identify those who had close contact with the patient, prioritizing them for complimentary blood testing for TB. Testing will later be extended to the wider school community. Tuberculosis is transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The World Health Organization notes that while TB primarily affects the lungs, it can present mild symptoms for several months.
Common symptoms include a persistent cough lasting over three weeks, coughing up blood or sputum, chills, fever, and chest pain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out that not everyone who contracts TB becomes ill. Patients can either have active or inactive TB.
Inactive TB does not produce symptoms and cannot be spread, though individuals typically test positive. In contrast, active TB patients exhibit symptoms, harbor significant amounts of bacteria, and can transmit the disease to others. Treatment is essential to prevent the condition from worsening or becoming life-threatening.
In 2024, the United States recorded its highest number of TB cases in over a decade, totaling 10,347. Oregon reported 84 TB cases last year, marking a 12% increase from 2023. Multnomah County health officials are hopeful that community transmission will not result from this case and have indicated that the general public faces minimal risk at this time. No additional connected cases have been confirmed.
The county health department typically sees around 30 TB cases annually. Treatment involves a combination of medications and can take months to complete. Officials are urging families and staff at the school with questions to contact the health department’s tuberculosis clinic.
