Two Active Tuberculosis Cases Linked to San Francisco Strip Club

The San Francisco Department of Public Health launched an investigation in early October after tracing two active cases of tuberculosis back to the Crazy Horse Gentlemen’s Club on Market Street.

Public Health Investigation at Market Street Venue

Health officials began contact tracing efforts after receiving confirmation of the first case at the adult entertainment venue, according to NBC Bay Area. The establishment, operating at 980 Market Street next to the Warfield Theater, has run for more than three decades. SFGATE noted that investigators have not yet determined whether the infected individuals were employees or patrons of the club.

Public health representatives emphasized that the immediate danger remains minimal. These efforts are ongoing and at this time, the risk to the general public is low, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said in a statement, adding, If this status changes, we will let the public know.

Infectious Disease Experts Evaluate Transmission Risks

Medical specialists explained that tuberculosis spreads through airborne bacteria released when an infected person coughs or speaks. Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious diseases faculty member at Stanford University, told NBC Bay Area that the pathogen can linger in poorly ventilated or crowded indoor spaces long after an infectious person leaves. Dr. Monica Gandhi of UC San Francisco told SFGATE that the disease is incredibly irritating to the lungs, which propels infectious particles into the air.

Experts also highlighted the distinction between active and latent infections. While latent tuberculosis carries no symptoms and poses no transmission risk, untreated latent cases can eventually develop into active disease. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, cautioned that the current situation does not automatically constitute an outbreak. He noted to NBC Bay Area that public health teams must establish a definitive epidemiological link between the cases, observing that investigators have to establish at least two cases that are linked, and we’re not even sure at this point whether the two cases are actually acquired at the establishment, or they got it somewhere else.

San Francisco Tuberculosis Case Background

The current inquiry unfolds against a backdrop of elevated local infection rates. The San Francisco Department of Public Health reported that San Francisco typically records between 60 and 90 active tuberculosis cases annually, logging 68 cases in 2025 primarily among non-U.S.-born residents. SFGATE noted that the city’s 2025 incidence reached 9.3 cases per 100,000 residents, exceeding the California state average of 5.4 cases per 100,000 people. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked 9,633 tuberculosis cases in 2023, marking a 15.6% increase from 2022.

Ongoing Contact Tracing and Testing Timelines

Because the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis multiply very slowly, health officials anticipate that monitoring exposed individuals will require extended observation. Dr. Chin-Hong explained that diagnostic screening procedures will likely require follow-up testing weeks later, since initial test results can appear negative before an infection registers as positive. Dr. Gandhi told SFGATE that public health authorities possess the legal authority to mandate testing and isolation for individuals identified through contact tracing who have been exposed to the disease.