Tuberculosis

Persons with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection may have no clinical evidence of disease and present asymptomatically, known as latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) or symptomatically, known as tuberculosis (TB). TB, which is a chief cause of infection-related morbidity and mortality, can be difficult to diagnose. For this reason, the American Thoracic Society (ATS), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have provided guidance on diagnosing TB in children and adults. Group Testing strategy Considerations Likely to be infected Adults Prevalence of bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination High risk of progression (TST ≥ 5 mM) Acceptable: IGRA or TST Expertise of staff or laboratory Consider dual testing, in which a positive result from either would be considered positive Test availability Children ≤ 5 years Patient and staff perceptions Preferred: TST Programmatic concerns Acceptable: IGRA or TST Consider dual testing, in which a positive result from either would be considered positive Likely to be infected Preferred: IGRA where available Low to intermediate risk of progression (TST ≥ 10 mM) Acceptable: IGRA or TST Unlikely to be infected (TST > 15 mM) Testing for LTBI is not recommended If necessary: Preferred: IGRA where available Acceptable: IGRA or TST For serial testing Acceptable: IGRA or TST Consider repeat or dual testing, in which a negative result from either would be considered negative Strong. An IGRA is...

TB can be active or latent. Active TB is sometimes referred to as TB disease. This is the type of TB that’s contagious. Active TB Active TB, sometimes called TB disease, causes symptoms and is contagious. The symptoms of active TB vary depending on whether it’s pulmonary or extrapulmonary. But general symptoms of active TB include: • • loss of appetite • fever • chills • fatigue • night sweats Active TB can be life-threatening if not properly treated. Latent TB If you have latent TB infection, you have TB bacteria in your body, but it’s inactive. This means you don’t experience any symptoms. You also aren’t contagious. Still, you’ll have a positive result from TB blood and skin tests. Latent TB can turn into active TB in Pulmonary TB is active TB that involves the lungs. It’s likely what most people think of when they hear tuberculosis. You contract it by breathing in air exhaled by someone who has TB. The germs can remain in the air for several hours. Along with the general symptoms of TB, a person with pulmonary TB may also experience: • persistent cough lasting three weeks or longer • coughing up blood • coughing up phlegm • chest pain • shortness of breath Extrapulmonary TB is TB that involves parts of the body outside of the lungs, such as the bones or organs. Symptoms depend on the part of the body affected. TB lymphadenitis TB lymphadenitis is the It tends to affect the the cervical lymph nodes, which are the lymph nodes in your neck. But any lymph node can be affec...

What Is Tuberculosis? Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes it. Can tuberculosis be cured? In the 20 th century, TB was a leading cause of death in the United States. Today, most cases are cured with Tuberculosis Types A TB infection doesn’t always mean you’ll get sick. There are two forms of the disease: • Latent TB. You have the germs in your body, but your • Active TB. The germs multiply and make you sick. You can spread the disease to others. Ninety percent of active cases in adults come from a latent TB infection. A latent or active TB infection can also be drug-resistant, meaning certain medications don’t work against the bacteria. Tuberculosis Signs and Symptoms Latent TB doesn’t have symptoms. A Signs of active TB disease include: • A • • • Feeling • • Chills • • Loss of appetite • If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor to get tested. Get medical help right away if you have chest pain. Tuberculosis Causes Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that spread through the air, just like a Tuberculosis Risk Factors You could be more likely to get TB if: • A friend, co-worker, or family member has active TB. • You live in or have traveled to an area where TB is common, like Russia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. • You’re part of a group in which TB is more likely to spread, or you work or live with someone who is. This includes homeless people, people who have HIV, people in jail or prison, and people who inject drugs into their veins....

Overview Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious illness that mainly affects the lungs. The germs that cause tuberculosis are a type of bacteria. Tuberculosis can spread when a person with the illness coughs, sneezes or sings. This can put tiny droplets with the germs into the air. Another person can then breathe in the droplets, and the germs enter the lungs. Tuberculosis spreads easily where people gather in crowds or where people live in crowded conditions. People with HIV/AIDS and other people with weakened immune systems have a higher risk of catching tuberculosis than people with typical immune systems. Drugs called antibiotics can treat tuberculosis. But some forms of the bacteria no longer respond well to treatments. Symptoms When TB germs survive and multiply in the lungs, it is called a TB infection. A TB infection may be in one of three stages. Symptoms are different in each stage. Primary TB infection. The first stage is called the primary infection. Immune system cells find and capture the germs. The immune system may completely destroy the germs. But some captured germs may still survive and multiply. Most people don't have symptoms during a primary infection. Some people may get flu-like symptoms, such as: • Low fever. • Tiredness. • Cough. Latent TB infection. Primary infection is usually followed by the stage called latent TB infection. Immune system cells build a wall around lung tissue with TB germs. The germs can't do any more harm if the immune system keeps the...

tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In most forms of the During the 18th and 19th centuries, tuberculosis reached near-epidemic proportions in the rapidly urbanizing and industrializing societies of Europe and Today, in less-developed countries where population is dense and hygienic standards poor, tuberculosis remains a major fatal disease. The The course of tuberculosis The tubercle bacillus is a small, rod-shaped bacterium that is extremely hardy; it can survive for months in a state of dryness and can also resist the action of mild disinfectants. Infection spreads primarily by the