What is Tuberculosis (TB)?
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by germs that are spread from person to person through the air. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidneys, or the spine. TB is treatable, but a person with TB can die if they develop active disease and do not get treatment.
What are the symptoms of TB?
The general symptoms of TB disease include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fevers, and night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs can also include coughing, chest pain, and the coughing up of blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected.
How is TB Spread?
TB germs are released into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. These germs can stay in the air for several hours, depending on the environment. Persons who breathe in the air containing these TB germs can become infected. You cannot get TB from sharing clothes or towels, drinking/eating utensils, handshakes or hugs, the toilet, or touching surfaces
It is important to know that a person who is exposed to TB bacteria is not able to spread the bacteria to other people right away. Only persons with active TB disease can spread TB bacteria to others. Before you would be able to spread TB to others, you would have to breathe in TB bacteria and become infected. Then the active bacteria would have to multiply in your body and cause active TB disease. Some people develop TB disease soon (within weeks to months) after becoming infected before their immune system can fight the TB bacteria. Other people may get sick years later when their immune system becomes weak for another reason. Healthy people have a 5-10% chance of eventually developing TB disease, but people with other serious health conditions are more at risk.
What is the difference between latent TB infection and active TB disease?
People with latent TB infection have TB germs in their bodies, but they are not sick because the germs are not active. These people do not have symptoms of TB disease, and they cannot spread the germs to others. However, they may develop TB disease in the future. They are often prescribed treatment to prevent them from developing TB disease. People with TB disease are sick from TB germs that are active, meaning that they are multiplying and destroying tissue in their body. They usually have symptoms of TB disease. People with TB disease of the lungs or throat are capable of spreading germs to others. They are prescribed antibiotics that can treat TB disease. Surgery may also occasionally be necessary.
What should I do if I have spent time with someone with latent TB infection?
A person with latent TB infection cannot spread germs to other people. You do not need to be tested if you have spent time with someone with a latent TB infection. However, if you have spent time with someone with TB disease or someone with symptoms of TB, you should be tested.
What should I do if I have been exposed to someone with TB disease?
People with TB disease are most likely to spread the germs to people they spend time with every day, such as family members or coworkers. If you have spent a lot of time around someone who has TB disease, you should talk to your doctor or your local health department about testing. When a health department is notified of a case of active TB, they do a detailed investigation to identify and reach out to people who are at risk so that they can get tested.
How do you get tested for TB?
Some tests can be used to help detect TB infection: a skin test or TB blood tests. The Mantoux tuberculin skin test is performed by injecting a small amount of fluid (called tuberculin) into the skin in the lower part of the arm. A person given the tuberculin skin test must return within 48 to 72 hours to have a trained healthcare worker look for a reaction on the arm. The TB blood tests measure how the patient’s immune system reacts to the germs that cause TB. Common TB blood tests include T-Spot and Quantiferon.
What does a positive test for TB infection mean?
A positive test for TB infection only tells that a person has been infected with TB germs. It does not tell whether or not the person has progressed to TB disease. Other tests, such as a chest x-ray and a sample of sputum, are needed to see whether the person has active TB disease. Up to one-third of the world's population is infected with latent TB. If you grew up or spent a long time in a part of the world with a lot of TB, you may be infected and not know it.
What is Bacille Calmette–Guèrin (BCG) vaccine?
BCG is a vaccine for TB disease. BCG is a routine childhood vaccine in many countries but is not generally recommended in the United States. BCG vaccination unfortunately does not completely prevent people from getting TB. It may also cause a false positive tuberculin skin test, which is why people who have had the BCG vaccine should ideally get a TB blood test instead.
Why is latent TB infection treated?
If you have latent TB infection but not TB disease, your doctor may recommend you take a drug to kill the TB germs and prevent you from developing TB disease. The decision about taking treatment for latent infection will be based on your chances of developing TB disease and will be balanced with the risks of the treatment itself. Some people are more likely than others to develop TB disease once they have a TB infection. This includes people with HIV infection, people who were recently exposed to someone with TB disease, and people with certain medical conditions.
How is active TB disease treated?
TB disease can be treated by taking several drugs for 6 to 12 months. People who have TB disease must finish the medicine, and take the drugs exactly as prescribed. If they stop taking the drugs too soon, they can become sick again; if they do not take the drugs correctly, the germs that are still alive may become resistant to those drugs. TB that is resistant to drugs is harder and more expensive to treat. In most situations, staff of the local health department meet regularly with patients who have TB to watch them take their medications. This is called directly observed therapy (DOT). DOT helps the patient complete treatment in the least amount of time.