What Houston Families Need to Know About Tuberculosis

When news broke in August 2025 that two Klein Cain High School students had been diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB), many families across the Houston area found themselves with questions. What exactly is TB? How does it spread? And most importantly, what can you do to protect yourself and those you love?

These are understandable concerns. Tuberculosis might sound like a disease from another era, but it remains a real public health issue in Texas today. Dr. Neelima Kale, Legacy Community Health’s Senior VP of Clinical Services, hears this worry often. “Patients often think of TB as an incurable disease and think back to the TB sanitariums,” she says. “TB management has changed a lot. We have good drugs to cure TB now.”

It is reassuring to know that TB is preventable, treatable, and curable.

What Is Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection caused by germs called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While TB most commonly affects the lungs, it can also spread to other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain.

According to the Houston Health Department, TB is spread from person to person through the air when someone with active TB disease in their lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. Tiny droplets containing the bacteria get released into the air, and another person can breathe them in.

However, TB does not spread the way many people assume. You cannot catch tuberculosis through casual contact, like walking past someone in a hallway. You also cannot get it from kissing, touching, or sharing food. TB typically requires prolonged, close contact in an enclosed setting to be transmitted.

TB Infection vs. TB Disease

One of the most confusing aspects of tuberculosis is understanding the difference between Latent TB infection and TB disease.

A person with latent TB infection usually feels healthy, shows no symptoms, and cannot infect other people. The bacteria remain in the body in an inactive state. Many people with this kind of suppressed TB never develop active disease, but some will, especially if their immune system becomes weakened.

Active TB disease is different. This is when the bacteria multiply and cause symptoms. People with active TB disease can spread the infection to others. The students at Klein Cain High School who were diagnosed had active tuberculosis, which is why health officials immediately began contact tracing to identify anyone who may have had prolonged close contact with them.

Recognizing the Symptoms

If you or someone in your family develops symptoms that could indicate TB, it’s important to seek medical attention promptly. Symptoms of TB disease include:

• A cough lasting two or more weeks
• Coughing up blood
• Chest pain when coughing
• Night sweats and heavy sweating during sleep
• Chills and fever
• Unexplained weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Persistent weakness or fatigue

Not everyone with TB disease will have all of these symptoms, but a cough that doesn’t go away, combined with other signs, should call for a visit to your health care provider.

Understanding the Numbers in Texas

Tuberculosis continues to be a public health concern in our state. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas reported over 1,200 TB cases in 2023. Harris County, which includes Houston, accounts for roughly 21% of all TB cases reported statewide.

The CDC’s provisional 2024 data shows that TB cases have been increasing nationally since 2021. While these numbers deserve attention, most people in the United States remain at low risk for TB.

Dr. Kale notes that certain groups should be especially proactive about screening even without a known exposure, particularly individuals with conditions affecting the respiratory or immune system or those taking immune-suppressing medications.

Prevention and Protection

So what can you do to protect yourself and your family?

If you believe you may have been exposed to someone with active TB disease, contact your health care provider. When you come in, Dr. Kale explains, the process is more straightforward than many people expect.

“TB testing starts with screening, either a skin test or a blood test,” she says. “If either are positive, we get a chest X-ray. If we suspect active TB, we may even get sputum samples to look for the bacterium.” Testing is available, and Harris County Public Health provides TB tests at no cost to individuals identified as contacts to an active case.

If you’re diagnosed with latent TB infection, your doctor may recommend treatment to prevent it from becoming active disease. This is especially important for people with weakened immune systems. Early diagnosis means earlier treatment, which leads to better outcomes and helps prevent spreading the disease to others.

The most reassuring fact about tuberculosis is that it can be cured with antibiotics when treated properly.

“TB is curable,” Dr. Kale emphasizes. “Early detection is important, and completing the full course of medications – whether for latent TB or active TB – is absolutely essential.”

The students diagnosed at Klein Cain High School received medical care and did not return to school until cleared by physicians and Harris County Public Health officials.

Where to Find Help

If you have concerns about TB or believe you may have been exposed, Legacy Community Health can help. Our health care providers can answer your questions, provide testing, if appropriate, and connect you with the care you need.

For more information about TB services in Houston, call the Houston Health Department’s TB Control program at 832-393-4799. Their goal is to find TB cases early and make sure people in our community get the care they need.

Tuberculosis may sound scary, but knowledge is your best defense. Knowing the symptoms and when to seek care puts you in control of your health and helps keep our community safe.