Johns Creek High Alerts Families to TB Exposure, Offering 2 Free Testing Days

Q: Is the Johns Creek High School TB case part of a larger, concerning outbreak trend identified by the CDC?

No clear evidence shows the Johns Creek High School tuberculosis case is part of a larger CDC-identified outbreak. What is known so far is that Fulton County health officials have reported a potential exposure tied to one person and are conducting targeted contact tracing and free screening for students who had close contact. Neither the school district nor the health board has said there are multiple linked cases, which would be needed to suggest a broader outbreak. CDC data does show a wider national concern about tuberculosis. In a 2026 report, the agency identified 50 large TB outbreaks in 23 states from 2017 to 2023, involving 1,092 cases. Those outbreaks were typically defined as 10 or more related cases over three years and were most often linked to family or social networks, substance use, homelessness, incarceration, or other congregate settings. The material provided does not identify Johns Creek High School or this Fulton County case as part of that group. Nationally, TB has remained a public health concern, though provisional CDC data also showed a slight decline in U.S. cases in 2025 after increases in earlier years. That means the Johns Creek case fits into a broader environment in which TB still requires vigilance, but the available facts point to a localized exposure investigation, not proof of a larger outbreak at the school or a confirmed connection to the CDC’s documented outbreak trend.

3 articles · Updated · Atlanta News First · Jun 25

Johns Creek High School sent letters to all students, parents and guardians after Fulton County health officials said students and staff may have been exposed to a person diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Two free testing and results days are being offered in June and July at the North Fulton Regional Health Center in Alpharetta, while people identified as close contacts will get a second letter with screening details.
The health board said the first notice was meant to give a general overview of TB and the testing process; officials have not said whether the infected person was a student or staff member.
Tuberculosis spreads through the air and usually affects the lungs and lymph nodes, though CDC guidance says not everyone infected becomes sick.