TB exposure possible at Rancho Cucamonga college and in Montclair

Students and staff at a community college in Rancho Cucamonga and residents of Montclair may have been exposed to contagious tuberculosis, health officials said Wednesday.

A woman at Chaffey College’s Rancho Cucamonga campus was recently diagnosed with the disease, which usually attacks the lungs and spreads through coughing or sneezing. The disease is treatable with medication, and the woman is now doing well, said San Bernardino County health officer Maxwell Ohikhuare.

Health officials are still in the process of identifying students and staffers who spent significant time with the infected woman, who also has ties with the city of Montclair. Officials said they could not be more specific about those ties because of privacy concerns.

Those identified as being at risk will be tested for the disease, Ohikhuare said.

“We go to the immediate families, the people who she has had contact with,” he said.

Ohikhuare said there was little reason for the broader community to be worried. “TB is not something you catch from long range,” he said. “You have to be in a very close proximity for a long period of time.”

Those with tuberculosis may not know they are infected because the bacteria may remain latent in the body for years but can become active later. Once active, tuberculosis can destroy lung tissue and be fatal unless the infected individual seeks medical help.

Last month, about 140 students and staff at Wilson High School in Long Beach were tested for possible exposure to tuberculosis after an infected individual was found at the school. None of the other students or staff got the disease, Robert Tagorda, assistant to the superintendent, said Wednesday.

In March, state health officials said tuberculosis cases in California have fallen to the lowest level on record. In 2008, there were 2,696 cases, a decline of 1% from the previous year.

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ron.lin@latimes.com