What is Tuberculosis (TB)?
Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that usually affects the lungs (pulmonary). In some cases other parts of the body can also be affected, for example the lymph nodes, kidneys, bones, joints, etc.
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?
The symptoms of TB include a low-grade fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss and a persistent cough. Some people may not have obvious symptoms.
How is tuberculosis spread?
Tuberculosis is spread through the air when a person with untreated active pulmonary TB coughs or sneezes. Prolonged exposure to a person with untreated active TB is usually necessary for infection to occur.
What is the difference between LATENT tuberculosis infection and ACTIVE tuberculosis?
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) means the person has the TB germ in his/her body (usually lungs), but does not have any symptoms, is not ill, and is not contagious. In latent TB, the person has a significant reaction to the Mantoux skin test with no symptoms of tuberculosis, and no TB organisms found in the sputum.
Active tuberculosis means the person has symptoms, a significant reaction to a Mantoux skin test and organisms found in the sputum. A person with active TB disease may remain contagious until he/she has been on appropriate treatment for several weeks.
Can latent tuberculosis be spread?
No, a person with latent TB infection, but not active disease, cannot spread the infection to others, since there are no TB germs in the sputum. In order to spread the TB germs, a person must have active TB.
Can latent tuberculosis become active tuberculosis?
Most people infected with the germ that causes TB never develop active TB. The body’s immune system keeps the tuberculosis bacteria walled off so it cannot cause active disease. If active TB does develop, it can occur two to three months after exposure or years later. Individuals with latent TB can prevent the active form of the disease by taking a prolonged course of antibiotics.
What does it mean to have a positive Mantoux skin test for tuberculosis?
There are people at UNH and the community at large who have been exposed to the tuberculosis bacteria. This exposure can cause a positive skin test. A positive skin test means that at some point the person was exposed to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, it does not mean he/she has active tuberculosis. A positive skin test alone does not mean that the individual is contagious.
For more information:http://www.cdc.gov/tb/faqs/qa_latenttbinf.htm
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