Nashua Public Health Investigating Infectious Tuberculosis Case Since Patient's Return

NASHUA, NH — Health officials are continuing an investigation into an active tuberculosis case and are tracing contacts after confirming the person is currently infectious.

The Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services, working with the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, said it has been working to contain and treat the case since July 2025.

According to the city, the individual had not been consistently engaged in care since October 2025 and reappeared in Nashua in late February. At that point, Nashua DPHCS made contact and retested the person, confirming the individual was infectious, according to officials. The city said contact tracing is underway to provide notifications and testing recommendations.

City health officials believe the infectious individual should be placed in isolation and started on effective treatment to reduce further spread in the community and help the patient become non-infectious. Public health staff will continue contact tracing efforts and notify people who may have been exposed.

Tuberculosis is caused by a germ that primarily affects the lungs and spreads through the air when someone with active TB coughs, sneezes, or speaks, according to the release. The city said TB is not spread by touching surfaces or through casual contact such as handshakes or sharing food. Not everyone who is exposed becomes sick, according to the release.

The release explains that TB has two forms: latent TB infection and active TB disease. People with latent TB infection do not feel sick, do not have symptoms and cannot spread the bacteria to others, according to the city. Treatment is still recommended to prevent progression to active disease, and testing, commonly a blood test, is the way to identify TB infection, the release said.

Officials said symptoms of active TB disease as unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, night sweats, fever, fatigue, and chills. Symptoms of active TB disease in the lungs include a cough lasting three weeks or longer, coughing up blood, and chest pain, according to the release.

Treatment is available for both latent TB infection and active TB disease, and support is available for people concerned about cost, the city said. Individuals without health insurance may be eligible for help through the New Hampshire TB Financial Assistance Program.

More information is available at NashuaNH.gov/1713/Tuberculosis-TB or by calling 603-589-4500, option 2.