Fresno County Tuberculosis Cases Rise 34% to 52; Officials Urge Testing

Fresno County public-health officials reported 52 active tuberculosis cases in 2024, up from 39 in 2023 — a 34.2% increase — and urged residents to be alert for TB symptoms and to seek testing and treatment. The county’s infectious disease team says completing recommended treatment regimens is critical to preventing further spread.

Dr. Samer Al Saghbini, infectious disease specialist and TB supervisor for the Fresno County Public Health Department, said the rise has real consequences for households and the community and noted recent deaths linked to the disease. He said Fresno County “experienced six deaths related to TB last year” and warned, “Having active TB is not good, not good for the individual. It's not good for the household, it's not good for the community.” Al Saghbini added a possible factor: “[Fresno] is a big county. It's the fifth largest in the state, with one million people living here compared to other smaller Central Valley counties.”

State public-health planning frames the local response. The California Department of Public Health previously released its strategic plan to eliminate TB, outlining a strategy to expand testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection in primary care settings, and the state health department is developing its plan for 2026–2030 to set the next phase of priorities and strategies.

Neighboring Central Valley counties are seeing smaller but notable increases. Merced County reported only a slight increase of 10% over the same period. Tulare County public-health officer Dr. Asma Tariq warned of rising cases there and provided symptom and testing guidance for area residents: “Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss.” Tariq said testing options for people who think they may have been exposed include blood tests and skin tests, adding that “Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away. This is called latent TB infection. If the latent TB infection is not treated, some who become infected will become ill in the future, sometimes even years later.”

The national picture shows increases as well. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 10,347 TB cases in 2024, an 8 percent rise from 9,622 cases the previous year, signaling a broader uptick that mirrors Fresno County’s trend. State figures show roughly 2,109 reported TB cases in California in 2024 compared with about 2,114 in 2023, reflecting variation in regional trends across the state.

Fresno County officials reiterated practical steps for prevention and care: be alert for the listed symptoms, get screened if you have risk factors or prolonged indoor exposure to someone sick with TB, and complete the full course of treatment if diagnosed. Health experts say the 2025 report on tuberculosis cases is not expected for a few more months, and they anticipate another increase across the Valley, making timely testing and treatment a priority for Fresno County public health.