There are three active cases of tuberculosis in Greater Portland.
A Maine CDC spokesperson told the Portland Press Herald the agency is working to identify and screen anyone who came in contact with the three people with the disease.
All three cases were individually contracted.
Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seen an increase in tuberculosis cases in Maine and across the nation in recent years, there is no current outbreak in the state.
Tuberculosis bacteria are spread into the air when an infected person coughs, speaks or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
The bacteria in the lungs can move through the blood to infect other parts of the body, such as the kidney, spine and brain. Some symptoms include fever, chest pain and a severe cough.
The likelihood of transmission is low, according to the CDC.
There have been 28 cases reported in the state between the start of the year and the end of July.
City and state officials told the Press Herald the rumors of an outbreak at the shelter for asylum-seekers in Portland aren’t true.
