Rare form of TB on rise again

A rare form of tuberculosis, once thought to be eradicated in this country, is making a comeback among Hispanic immigrants in Southern California.

MSNBC reports this form of TB is linked to unpasteurized dairy products, including queso fresco cheese. The product is illegal because it contains the unpasteurized dairy product.

According to the MSNBC report, Cases of the Mycobacterium bovis strain of TB have increased in San Diego county, particularly among children who drink or eat dairy foods made from the milk of infected cattle, a study in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases shows.”

Anyone is potentially at risk of contracting this form of TB because it can be acquired in many ways. Street vendors who’ve smuggled the fresh cheese across the border are known peddlers of the product.

Also, Hispanic families are known to make their own cheeses, known as “bathtub cheeses,” because they’re made in house, or in backyard troughs.

This strain of TB is accounting for 10 percent of all new cases in the Southern California area.