About 10 million people have active TB worldwide. In the United States, TB is much less common. TB can almost always be treated and cured if you take medicine as directed. Who Is at Risk of TB?
This includes: Family and friends of a person who is infected People from parts of the world with high TB rates, including India and parts of Asia and Africa.
People in groups with high rates of TB transmission, including the homeless, injection drug users and people living with HIV People who work or reside in facilities that house high risk people such as hospitals, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes and residential homes for those with HIV Not everyone who is infected with the TB germ latent TB develops clinically active TB disease.
Previous: Tuberculosis TB. Next: Tuberculosis Symptoms and Diagnosis. Make a Donation Your tax-deductible donation funds lung disease and lung cancer research, new treatments, lung health education, and more. Make a Donation. Sign Up for Email Updates Join over , people who receive the latest news about lung health, including COVID, research, air quality, inspiring stories and resources. Please enter a valid email address. Zip Code. It may also cause a false positive tuberculin skin test.
However, persons who have been vaccinated with BCG can be given a tuberculin skin test or TB blood test. If you have latent TB infection but not TB disease, your doctor may want you to 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. Some people are more likely than others to develop TB disease once they have TB infection. This includes people with HIV infection, people who were recently exposed to someone with TB disease, and people with certain medical conditions.
TB disease can be treated by taking several drugs for 6 to 12 months. It is very important that people who have TB disease 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 some 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. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Tuberculosis TB. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate.
Fact Sheets. Minus Related Pages. What Are the Symptoms of TB? How is TB Spread? This person would have a positive skin test, but a normal chest X-ray. TB disease. This describes the person who has signs and symptoms of an active infection. The person would have a positive skin test and a positive chest X-ray. What causes TB? Who is at risk for TB? However, each person may experience symptoms differently: Cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer Chest pain Fatigue Loss of appetite Unintended weight loss Poor growth in children Fever Coughing blood or sputum Chills or night sweats The symptoms of TB may look like other lung conditions or medical problems.
How is TB diagnosed? TB skin tests are suggested for those: In high-risk categories Who live or work in close contact with people who are at high risk Who have never had a TB skin test For skin testing in children, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends testing: If the child is thought to have been exposed in the last 5 years If the child has an X-ray that looks like TB If the child has any symptoms of TB If the child comes from a country where TB is prevalent For children with HIV For children receiving medicines that suppress the immune system For children who are in detention facilities For children who are exposed to high-risk people If the child's parent has come from a high-risk country If the child has traveled to high-risk areas If the child lives in a densely populated area How is TB treated?
Your healthcare provider will figure out the best treatment for you based on: How old you are Your overall health and past health How sick you are How well you can handle specific medicines, procedures, or therapies How long the condition is expected to last Your opinion or preference Treatment may include: Short-term hospitalization For latent TB which is newly diagnosed: Usually a 6 to 12 month course of antibiotic called isoniazid will be given to kill off the TB organisms in the body.
Some people with latent TB may be treated with a shorter course of 2 antibiotics for only 3 months. For active TB: Your healthcare provider may prescribe 3 or more antibiotics in combination for 6 to 9 months or longer. Examples include: isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. People usually begin to improve within a few weeks of the start of treatment.
After several weeks of treatment with the correct medicines, the person is usually no longer contagious, if treatment is carried through to the end, as prescribed by a healthcare provider. What are the complications of TB? Can TB be prevented? When should I call my healthcare provider? If your symptoms get worse or you get new symptoms, let your healthcare provider know.
Key points about TB Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that usually infects the lungs. It may also affect the kidneys, spine, and brain. Being infected with the TB bacterium is not the same as having active tuberculosis disease. There are 3 stages of TB—exposure, latent, and active disease.
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