A person who spent time at a homeless shelter and an outreach organization in Manchester, New Hampshire, has tested positive for tuberculosis.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Service and the Manchester Health Department announced the news Friday, saying the person was at the Families in Transition Adult Shelter and the 1269 Cafe while infectious.
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State and local health officials are working with both facilities and other community partners to identify and notify staff, volunteers, participants and visitors who might have been exposed and connect them to testing and evaluation for possible tuberculosis infection. They said there is currently low risk to the broader Manchester community.
Anyone who visited either of the two locations between Oct. 1, 2024 and Jan. 31, 2025 could have been in contact with the individual.
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Testing clinics are being held at the 1269 Cafe at 456 Union St. on Tuesday, March 11 and on Wednesday, March 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“While not everyone who comes in contact with a person who has TB gets sick, we are recommending that people who were at one of the two facilities between October and January get tested to see if they were infected,” Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Elizabeth Talbot said. “Getting tested can provide peace of mind and help prevent sickness and the spread of TB.”
There is no cost to get tested at the clinics. Testing will involve drawing a blood sample, which will be sent to state laboratories to determine if tuberculosis bacteria is present in their body. Anyone who thinks they might have been exposed can also call their primary care provider to request testing.
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On average, there are 12 people diagnosed with tuberculosis in New Hampshire each year. The disease is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which typically infects the lungs. When a person with infectious tuberculosis coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets are released into the air. The bacteria spreads when someone breathes in these droplets.
Most people who are exposed to tuberculosis will not develop symptoms right away. However, the bacteria can be inactive in a person’s lungs and start multiplying later in life, causing symptoms and illness.
For more information about tuberculosis, please call the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services at 603-271-4496 or visit the DHHS TB webpage.
