Health
Tuberculosis outbreak linked to prominent high school, officials investigating
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An outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) has been linked to a San Francisco high school.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) issued a health advisory on Jan. 29 about the outbreak, which has been tied to Archbishop Riordan High School.
TB is a curable bacterial infection that targets the lungs, but can also infect other organs, according to Johns Hopkins. It is an airborne contagion that can be spread through coughing, sneezing or saliva.
Three active TB cases have been diagnosed among people associated with Archbishop Riordan High School since November 2025, according to the advisory, and over 50 latent TB infections have been identified within the school community.
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A person with a latent infection has been infected with the tuberculosis bacteria, but the bacteria are inactive in the body.
While latent-stage TB is not contagious, it can develop into active disease in 5% to 10% of people.
An outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) has been linked to a San Francisco high school (not pictured). (iStock)
“Efforts are underway to assure preventive treatment for all these individuals,” the advisory states.
The school’s staff and students have been instructed to stay home if they are sick and to get medical clearance from a doctor before returning.
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“Additionally, TB evaluation is required for all students and staff affiliated with the school, regardless of symptoms,” the advisory stated. “Repeat TB assessment will be required every eight weeks until the outbreak is resolved.”
“At this time, risk to the general population is low, so these measures are not needed for patients who are not connected to the AHRS outbreak.”
“If you breathe, you can catch TB — so all people are at risk.”
In the U.S., more than 565 people died from TB in the most recent complete year of official data available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is a greater than 10% case fatality rate in San Francisco, per health officials.
Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
While around 25% of people have likely been infected with the TB bacteria, just 5% to 10% will experience symptoms and develop the disease. Only people with symptoms are contagious.
Those who get sick with TB may experience mild symptoms, including coughing, chest pain, fatigue, weight loss, weakness, fever and night sweats, according to the CDC.
TB is a curable bacterial infection that targets the lungs, but can also infect other organs, according to Johns Hopkins. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
In addition to the lungs, the disease can also affect the kidneys, spine, skin and brain.
“TB can affect any organ of the body, but it causes disease in the lung in over 80% of cases,” Masae Kawamura, M.D., a former TB control director in San Francisco and a tuberculosis clinician, previously told Fox News Digital. “This is dangerous because it causes cough, the mechanism of airborne spread.”
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In more severe cases, patients may cough up blood, noted Kawamura, who serves on the board of directors of Vital Strategies, a global public health organization.
“Often, there are minimal symptoms for a long time and people mistake their occasional cough with allergies, smoking or a cold they can’t shake off,” she added.
A person with a latent infection has been infected with the tuberculosis bacteria, but the bacteria are inactive in the body. (Janice Carr/CDC/AP)
TB can be identified with rapid diagnostic tests. The disease is treated with antibiotics that are taken every day for four to six months, the CDC states. Some of the most common include isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol.
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Failing to take the complete course of medications can cause the bacteria to become drug-resistant, which would then require treatment with different medications.
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If TB goes untreated, it is fatal in about half of its victims, according to Kawamura. “About 25% recover on their own and another 25% persist as chronic active TB cases,” she said.
Who is at risk?
“If you breathe, you can catch TB — so all people are at risk,” said Kawamura, who calls TB a “social disease of crowding and mobility.”
“Since TB is airborne, congregate settings like hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, jails, classrooms and homeless shelters are places TB is more easily spread, especially if multiple risks are involved,” she added.
Those at the highest risk of developing TB disease after exposure include people who have diabetes, have weakened immunity, are malnourished, use tobacco and/or drink excess amounts of alcohol. (iStock)
Those at the highest risk of developing TB disease after exposure include people who have diabetes, have weakened immunity, are malnourished, use tobacco and/or drink excess amounts of alcohol. Babies and children are also at higher risk.
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The best means of prevention is testing those at risk and treating latent tuberculosis infection, according to the doctor.
Fox News Digital reached out to Archbishop Riordan High School requesting comment.
new video loaded: Wii Bowling Takes Over Tulsa Retirement Homes
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Wii Bowling Takes Over Tulsa Retirement Homes
Retirement communities in Tulsa, Okla., compete against one another in a Nintendo Wii Sports bowling league.
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“That’s how you win.” “There you go, Ron.” “Way to go.”
By Nick Oxford, Alisa Shodiyev Kaff and Alexandra E. Petri
June 19, 2026
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As the popularity of GLP-1 drugs continues to climb, significant weight loss associated with the medications has been linked to a growing list of cosmetic concerns.
Some surgeons report that more patients are seeking treatments for so-called “Ozempic earlobes,” which reportedly appear thinner, longer or more sagging after the loss of facial fat.
“The use of semaglutides causes you to lose fat across your body, including the small, fat pads of the earlobes,” facial plastic surgeon Sachin S. Parikh, MD, told NewBeauty.
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“It’s important to note that semaglutides do not damage ear tissue or affect hearing in any way, so any intervention would be purely cosmetic,” added the California-based doctor.
Some of the potential treatments for “Ozempic earlobes” may include dermal filler, fat transfer, laser treatments or surgical earlobe reduction, according to the report.
As the popularity of GLP-1 drugs continues to climb, significant weight loss associated with the medications has been linked to a growing list of cosmetic concerns. (iStock)
Dr. Mohammed Asif from Duly Health and Care in Naperville, Illinois, said that while he hasn’t personally noticed an uptick in ear surgeries, he has seen a rise in other procedures due to GLP-1-triggered weight loss.
Some of those include panniculectomies (Ozempic skin removal surgery) and abdominoplasties (tummy tucks).
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“There has been a significant increase in body contouring procedures among patients with GLP-1 weight loss,” Asif told Fox News Digital.
“In my practice, I’ve seen a significant surge in breast lifts, panniculectomies (skin removal surgery), abdominoplasties (tummy tucks), brachioplasties (arm lifts) and thighplasties due to weight loss.”
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Healing and recovery are “far greater and less complicated” than with bariatric surgery weight loss, Asif noted.
“This is due to the gradual weight loss achieved over time with GLP-1s.”
“Ozempic breast” is another common complaint, according to Dr. Michael Omidi, a double board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in Beverly Hills.
“There has been a significant increase in body contouring procedures among patients with GLP-1 weight loss,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“Women in their 30s and 40s would not typically need a breast lift, but when you’re taking drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy that cause rapid weight loss, women can see gravity take its toll on their breasts,” he told Fox News Digital.
“When women, especially younger ones, lose fat too fast, it causes the breasts, which are comprised of fat, glandular tissue and skin, to lose volume,” he went on. “The skin and supporting ligaments don’t always bouce back at the same rate as the weight loss, resulting in breasts that can appear saggy and deflated.”
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Dr. Samuel Golpanian, a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, said he has seen “dozens” of patients – men and women alike – seeking treatments for so-called “Ozempic butt” after significant weight loss.
“This is an unintended consequence of taking GLP-1s,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Such dramatic weight loss in a short period of time causes the skin not to tighten quickly enough to keep up with the body’s changes. Our buttocks have a large amount of fat, so when that volume disappears quickly, you’ll develop a flatter, saggier behind.”
“Such dramatic weight loss in a short period of time causes the skin not to tighten quickly enough to keep up with the body’s changes,” a surgeon said. (iStock)
Kristy Hamilton, MD, a Houston-based surgeon who is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), agreed that a growing number of patients are seeking skin-tightening procedures after losing large amounts of weight with GLP-1s.
“We’re absolutely seeing more of those patients, and I expect that trend to continue,” said Hamilton in an ASPS report.
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“People are losing as much as 100 pounds on this medication – and when you’re losing that amount, that’s significant. You’re certainly going to have excess skin afterward.”
The ASPS lists the following body-contouring procedures as the ones most frequently performed after substantial weight loss.
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- Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty): Removes excess abdominal skin and fat
- Lower body lift (belt lipectomy): Addresses the abdomen, buttocks, hips and thighs
- Arm lift (brachioplasty): Removes hanging upper-arm skin
- Thigh lift: Tightens excess skin of the inner thighs
- Breast lift (mastopexy): Addresses sagging, deflated breasts after weight loss
- Facelift/neck lift: Addresses facial volume loss and skin laxity after major weight loss
“People are losing as much as 100 pounds on this medication – and when you’re losing that amount, that’s significant. You’re certainly going to have excess skin afterward.” (iStock)
Experts say adequate protein intake and resistance training can help minimize the loss of lean muscle mass that often accompanies rapid weight loss, which could reduce some of the cosmetic concerns.
Golpanian also emphasized the importance of eating enough protein.
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“It can be harder since your appetite is suppressed, but it’s so important to consume at least 110 grams of protein a day while taking a GLP-1 drug,” he advised.
“Also, I say this to my patients all the time: You have to lift weights to keep your muscles from atrophying. Strength training can help build muscles and preserve your glutes.”
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