Tuberculosis | TB | TB Test

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" id="health_topic" class="nojs us" data-root="https://medlineplus.gov/"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1" /> <meta http-equiv="window-target" content="_top" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://medlineplus.gov/tuberculosis.html" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://medlineplus.gov/tuberculosis.html" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/tuberculosis.html" /> <meta name="ac-dictionary" content="medlineplus-ac-dictionary" /> <meta name="description" content="Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria that attacks the lungs. Skin tests, blood tests, and x-rays can tell if you have TB. Learn more." /> <link rel="schema.DC" href="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" title="The Dublin Core metadata Element Set"/> <meta name="DC.Title" content="Tuberculosis"/> <meta name="DC.Title.Alternate" content="TB"/> <meta name="DC.Subject.MeSH" content="Tuberculosis"/> <meta name="DC.Relation.IsPartOf" content="Infections"/> <meta name="DC.Relation.IsPartOf" content="Lungs and Breathing"/> <meta name="DC.Identifier.URL" content="https://medlineplus.gov/tuberculosis.html"/> <meta name="DC.Publisher" content="National Library of Medicine"/> <meta name="DC.Language" content="eng"/> <meta name="DC.Type" content="Text"/> <meta name="DC.Date.Modified" content="2024-08-26"/> <meta name="NLMDC.Date.Modified.Major" content=""/> <meta name="DC.Date.Created" content="1998-10-22"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://medlineplus.gov/images/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://medlineplus.gov/images/touch-icon.png" /> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1042245625821448" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Tuberculosis | TB | TB Test | MedlinePlus" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://medlineplus.gov/tuberculosis.html" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/Tuberculosis_share.jpg" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria that attacks the lungs. Skin tests, blood tests, and x-rays can tell if you have TB. Learn more." /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@medlineplus" /> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@medlineplus" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Tuberculosis | TB | TB Test | MedlinePlus" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria that attacks the lungs. Skin tests, blood tests, and x-rays can tell if you have TB. Learn more." /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/Tuberculosis_share.jpg" /> <meta name="twitter:image:alt" content="Tuberculosis"/> <meta property="og:image:alt" content="Tuberculosis" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Tuberculosis | TB | TB Test | MedlinePlus" href="https://medlineplus.gov/feeds/topics/tuberculosis.xml" /> <title>Tuberculosis | TB | TB Test | MedlinePlus</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/css/common_new.css?1733289201341" />  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/css/uswds_styles.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/css/topic.css"> <script type="text/javascript">document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].className = document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].className.replace( /(?:^|\s)nojs(?!\S)/g , '').trim();</script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/js/uswds-init.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-MMVM77');</script> </head> <body> <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-MMVM77" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden" title="googletagmanager"></iframe></noscript> <a name="top" id="top"></a> <a class="hide-offscreen" href="#start">Skip navigation</a> <section class="usa-banner" aria-label="Official website of the United States government" > <div class="usa-accordion"> <header class="usa-banner__header"> <div class="usa-banner__inner"> <div class="grid-col-auto"> <img aria-hidden="true" class="usa-banner__header-flag" src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/us_flag_small.png" alt="" /> </div> <div class="grid-col-fill tablet:grid-col-auto" aria-hidden="true"> <p class="usa-banner__header-text"> An official website of the United States government </p> <p class="usa-banner__header-action">Here鈥檚 how you know</p> </div> <button type="button" class="usa-accordion__button usa-banner__button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="gov-banner-default-default" > <span class="usa-banner__button-text">Here鈥檚 how you know</span> </button> </div> </header> <div class="usa-banner__content usa-accordion__content" id="gov-banner-default-default" > <div class="grid-row grid-gap-lg"> <div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/icon-dot-gov.svg" role="img" alt="" aria-hidden="true" /> <div class="usa-media-block__body"> <p> <strong>Official websites use .gov</strong><br />A <strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. </p> </div> </div> <div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/icon-https.svg" role="img" alt="" aria-hidden="true" /> <div class="usa-media-block__body"> <p> <strong>Secure .gov websites use HTTPS</strong><br />A <strong>lock</strong> ( <span class="icon-lock" ><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="52" height="64" viewBox="0 0 52 64" class="usa-banner__lock-image" role="img" aria-labelledby="banner-lock-description-default" focusable="false" > <title id="banner-lock-title-default">Lock</title> <desc id="banner-lock-description-default">Locked padlock icon</desc> <path fill="#000000" fill-rule="evenodd" d="M26 0c10.493 0 19 8.507 19 19v9h3a4 4 0 0 1 4 4v28a4 4 0 0 1-4 4H4a4 4 0 0 1-4-4V32a4 4 0 0 1 4-4h3v-9C7 8.507 15.507 0 26 0zm0 8c-5.979 0-10.843 4.77-10.996 10.712L15 19v9h22v-9c0-6.075-4.925-11-11-11z" /> </svg> </span >) or <strong>https://</strong> means you鈥檝e safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <div id="mplus-wrap"> <header> <div id="mplus-header"> <div id="mplus-orgs"> <a href="https://www.nih.gov/" class="nih-org" target="_blank" title="National Institutes of Health"> <img class="nihlogo" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nihlogo.png" alt="National Institutes of Health"/> </a><a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/" target="_blank"> National Library of Medicine</a> </div> <div id="mplus-logo" class="years-25"> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/"> <img alt="MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You" title="MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/m_logo_25.png"/> </a> </div> <div id="mplus-nav"> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> <button id="sm-menu-btn" class="navmenu-btn" title="Menu" role="button" aria-controls="mplus-menu-list" type="submit">Menu<span class="icon icon-nav-menu"></span></button> <ul id="mplus-menu-list" class="nav-list"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html">Health Topics</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html">Drugs & Supplements</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/">Genetics</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/">Medical Tests</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html">Medical Encyclopedia</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/">About MedlinePlus</a></li> </ul><button id="sm-search-btn" class="navmenu-btn" title="Search" role="button" aria-controls="mplus-search" type="submit"><span class="hide-offscreen"></span>Search<span class="icon icon-nav-search"></span></button> <div class="top-1"> <form id="mplus-search" method="get" action="https://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta" title="Search MedlinePlus" target="_self"> <input type="hidden" name="v:project" value="medlineplus"/> <input type="hidden" name="v:sources" value="medlineplus-bundle"/> <div class="form-box text-combo"> <div class="form-area"><label class="hide-offscreen" for="searchtext_primary">Search MedlinePlus</label> <input id="searchtext_primary" class="form-text" type="text" placeholder="Search MedlinePlus" alt="#Site Search input" title="Site Search input" maxlength="400" size="40" name="query" autocomplete="off" role="textbox" aria-autocomplete="list" aria-haspopup="true"/> </div> <div class="button-area"> <button class="form-btn" title="Search MedlinePlus" alt="Search MedlinePlus" type="submit">GO</button> </div> </div> </form> <div class="secondarynav"> <ul class="nav-list"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/"><span>About MedlinePlus</span></a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/">What's New</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html"><span>Site Map</span></a></li> <li><a href="https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&category=medlineplus&from=https%3A//medlineplus.gov/tuberculosis.html" target="_blank"><span>Customer Support</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="mplus-nav-bar"> <ul class="nav-list"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html">Health Topics</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html">Drugs & Supplements</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/">Genetics</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/">Medical Tests</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html">Medical Encyclopedia</a></li> </ul> </div> <a id="mplus-lang-toggle" href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/tuberculosis.html" title="Espa帽ol">Espa帽ol</a> </div> </div> </header> <div id="mplus-content"> <div id="breadcrumbs"> <div itemprop="breadcrumb" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/BreadcrumbList"> <span class="hide-offscreen">You Are Here:</span> <div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Home</span></a> → <meta itemprop="position" content="1"/> </div> <div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Health Topics</span></a> → <meta itemprop="position" content="2"/> </div> <div> <span>Tuberculosis</span> </div> </div> </div> <span class="page-url print-only">URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/tuberculosis.html</span> <div id="topic"> <article> <div class="page-info"> <div class="page-title syndicate"> <a id="start" name="start"></a> <h1 itemprop="name" class="with-also"> Tuberculosis </h1> <span class="alsocalled">Also called: TB</span> </div> <div class="page-actions"></div> </div> <div class="main"> <section id="toc-section"> <div id="table-of-contents"> <span class="toc-label">On this page</span> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>Basics</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Summary" href="#summary">Summary</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Start Here" href="#cat_51">Start Here</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Symptoms" href="#cat_95">Symptoms</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Diagnosis and Tests" href="#cat_92">Diagnosis and Tests</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Prevention and Risk Factors" href="#cat_93">Prevention and Risk Factors</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Treatments and Therapies" href="#cat_78">Treatments and Therapies</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>Learn More</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Related Issues" href="#cat_47">Related Issues</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Specifics" href="#cat_42">Specifics</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p class="evencols clearsection hrdividor"></p> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>See, Play and Learn</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li class="noinfo-subcat">No links available</li> </ul> </div> <p class="threecols clearsection hrdividor"></p> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>Research</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Statistics and Research" href="#cat_79">Statistics and Research</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Clinical Trials" href="#cat_27">Clinical Trials</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Journal Articles" href="#cat_59">Journal Articles</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p class="evencols clearsection hrdividor"></p> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>Resources</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Reference Desk" href="#cat_82">Reference Desk</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Find an Expert" href="#cat_83">Find an Expert</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>For You</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Children" href="#cat_8">Children</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Women" href="#cat_7">Women</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Patient Handouts" href="#cat_69">Patient Handouts</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="summary"></a> <section id="topsum_section"> <div class="summary-title syndicate"> <h2>Summary</h2> </div> <div id="topic-summary" class="syndicate"><h3>What is tuberculosis (TB)?</h3> <p>Tuberculosis (TB) is a <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/bacterialinfections.html">bacterial disease</a> that usually attacks the lungs. But it can also attack other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain.</p> <p>Not everyone infected with TB bacteria (germs) becomes sick. So, there are two types of TB conditions:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Inactive (latent) TB infection</strong>, where the TB germs live in your body but don't make you sick.</li> <li><strong>TB disease (active TB)</strong> where you get sick from the TB germs. TB disease can almost always be cured with <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/antibiotics.html">antibiotics</a>. But if it's not treated properly, it can be fatal.</li> </ul> <p>TB is found in the U.S., but it is more common in certain other countries.</p> <h3>What causes tuberculosis (TB)?</h3> <p>TB is caused by bacteria (germs) called <em>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</em>. The germs spread from person to person through the air. People who have TB disease in their throat or lungs spread the germs in the air when they cough, sneeze, talk, or sing. If you breathe in the air that has the germs, you can get TB.</p> <p>TB is not spread by touching, kissing, or sharing food or dishes.</p> <p>You're more likely to catch TB from people you live or work with than from people you see for shorter amounts of time.</p> <h3>Who is more likely to get infected with tuberculosis (TB) germs?</h3> <p>Anyone who is near a person with TB disease can get infected with the germs. You are more likely to be near someone with TB disease if you:</p> <ul> <li>Were born in or often travel to countries where TB disease is common</li> <li>Are a health care worker</li> <li>Work or live in a place where TB is more common, such as shelters for people without homes, jails, and nursing homes</li> </ul> <h3>Who is more likely to develop TB disease?</h3> <p>Certain people are more likely to get sick with TB disease after they get infected. They include people who:</p> <ul> <li>Have <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/hiv.html">HIV</a></li> <li>Became infected with TB in the last 2 years</li> <li>Have other diseases, such as <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/diabetes.html">diabetes</a>, that make it hard for your body to fight TB germs</li> <li>Have <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/alcoholusedisorderaud.html">alcohol use disorder</a> (AUD) or inject <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druguseandaddiction.html">illegal drugs</a></li> <li>Were not treated correctly for TB in the past</li> <li>Are under age 5</li> <li>Are an older adult</li> <li>Take medicines that <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/immunesystemanddisorders.html">weaken the immune system</a>, such as medicines taken after an <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/organtransplantation.html">organ transplant</a>, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/steroids.html">steroids</a>, and specialized treatments for certain <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/autoimmunediseases.html">autoimmune diseases</a></li> </ul> <h3>What are the symptoms of tuberculosis (TB)?</h3> <p>Most people who have TB germs in their bodies don't get sick with TB disease. Instead, they have inactive TB infection. With an inactive TB infection, you:</p> <ul> <li>Don't have symptoms</li> <li>Can't spread TB to others</li> <li>Could get sick with active TB disease in the future if your immune system becomes weak for another reason</li> <li>Need to take medicine to prevent getting sick with active TB disease in the future</li> </ul> <p><strong>If you have TB disease</strong>, the TB germs are active, meaning that they are growing (multiplying) inside your body and making you sick. If the TB is growing in your lungs or throat, you can spread the TB germs to other people. You can get sick with TB disease weeks to years after you're infected with TB germs.</p> <p>With TB disease, your symptoms will depend on where the TB is growing in your body:</p> <ul> <li>General symptoms may include: <ul> <li>Chills and <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/fever.html">fever</a></li> <li>Night sweats (heavy sweating during sleep)</li> <li>Losing weight without trying</li> <li>Loss of appetite</li> <li>Weakness or <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/fatigue.html">fatigue</a></li> </ul> </li> <li>Symptoms from TB disease in your lungs may include: <ul> <li>A <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/cough.html">cough</a> that lasts longer than 3 weeks</li> <li>Coughing up blood or sputum (a thick mucus from the lungs)</li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/chestpain.html">Chest pain</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>How is tuberculosis (TB) diagnosed?</h3> <p>Your health care provider or your local health department can test you to find out if you have TB germs in your body. They will give you either a <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/tuberculosis-screening/">TB skin or blood test</a>.</p> <p>If your test shows that you have TB germs, you'll need to have other tests to see if the germs are actively growing:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Tests for TB disease in the lungs</strong> usually include <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/acid-fast-bacillus-afb-tests/">testing samples of your sputum</a> and having chest <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/xrays.html">x-rays</a>.</li> <li><strong>Tests for TB disease in other parts of your body</strong> may include tests of <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/urinalysis.html">urine</a> and <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/biopsy.html">tissue samples</a>.</li> </ul> <p>You may need a TB test if you have symptoms of TB disease or if you are at high risk because you are more likely to be near someone with TB disease.</p> <p>People who have HIV also need to get tested for TB. HIV weakens your immune system. So if you have both HIV and inactive TB, the TB can quickly become active TB disease. You will need treatment for the inactive TB as soon as possible to prevent active TB disease.</p> <h3>What is the treatment for tuberculosis (TB)?</h3> <p>The treatment for both inactive TB infection and TB disease is antibiotics. To make sure you get rid of all the TB germs in your body, it's very important to follow the directions for taking your medicine.</p> <p>If you don't follow the directions, the TB germs in your body could change and become <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/antibioticresistance.html">antibiotic resistant</a>. That means the medicine may stop working and your TB may become hard to cure.</p> <ul> <li><strong>For inactive TB infections</strong>, you need to take medicines for three, four, six, or nine months, depending on the treatment plan. Treatment helps make sure you don't get TB disease in the future.</li> <li><strong>For active TB disease</strong>, you usually need to take medicines for four, six, or nine months, depending on the treatment plan. Treatment will almost always cure you if you take your pills the right way.</li> <li><strong>For TB disease in your lungs or throat</strong>, you'll need to stay home for a few weeks, so you don't spread disease to other people. You can protect the people you live with by: <ul> <li>Covering your nose and mouth.</li> <li>Opening windows when possible.</li> <li>Not getting too close to them.</li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>For drug-resistant TB disease,</strong> which means that the TB germs are resistant to certain TB medicines, you will need to take special medicines. Treatment may take a long time, sometimes months or years. The medicines can cause <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/drugreactions.html">side effects</a>. Your provider will closely monitor your treatment to make sure the medicines are working.</li> </ul> <p>By following medical advice for TB testing and treatment, you can keep yourself healthy and help stop the spread of TB.</p> <p class="attribution">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</p></div> </section> <a name="cat_51"></a> <section id="cat_51_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header expanded"> <div class="section-title syndicate"> <h2>Start Here </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section51" class="section-body expanded syndicate" aria-expanded="true"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/tuberculosis/learn-about-tuberculosis" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="112299" >Learn about Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (American Lung Association)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/communication-resources/tb-questions-and-answers-booklet.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="87599" >Questions and Answers About Tuberculosis Booklet</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_95"></a> <section id="cat_95_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Symptoms </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section95" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/signs-symptoms/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="67489" >Signs and Symptoms of Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/topic/basics/signsandsymptoms.htm" data-sid="104847">Spanish</a> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_92"></a> <section id="cat_92_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Diagnosis and Tests </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section92" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/acid-fast-bacillus-afb-tests/" data-sid="141967" data-org="NLM">Acid-Fast Bacillus (AFB) Tests</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Library of Medicine)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/pruebas-de-laboratorio/pruebas-de-bacilos-acidorresistentes-baar/" data-sid="141989">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/testing/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="96007" >Testing for Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/topic/testing/default.htm" data-sid="119046">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/testing/skin-test.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="99156" >Testing for Tuberculosis: Skin Test</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/lung-tests" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="155308" data-org="NHLBI">Tests for Lung Disease</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/es/salud/pruebas-pulmonares" data-sid="131247">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/tuberculosis-screening/" data-sid="134068" data-org="NLM">Tuberculosis Screening</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Library of Medicine)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/pruebas-de-laboratorio/prueba-de-tuberculosis/" data-sid="134128">Spanish</a> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_93"></a> <section id="cat_93_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Prevention and Risk Factors </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section93" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/hcp/vaccines/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="59130" >Bacille Calmette-Gu茅rin (BCG) Vaccine for Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/topic/basics/vaccines.htm" data-sid="93864">Spanish</a> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_78"></a> <section id="cat_78_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Treatments and Therapies </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section78" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/pamphlets/TB_trtmnt.pdf" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="64048" >Staying on Track with TB Medicine</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> - <span class="desccode">PDF</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/tuberculosis/treating-and-managing" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="1401" >Treating and Managing Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (American Lung Association)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/treatment/default.htm" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="59131" >Treatment for Latent TB Infection and TB Disease</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/topic/treatment/default.htm" data-sid="113089">Spanish</a> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_47"></a> <section id="cat_47_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Related Issues </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section47" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/about/m-bovis.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="113336" >About Bovine Tuberculosis in Humans</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/hiv-and-tuberculosis-tb" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="125551" data-org="NIH">HIV and Tuberculosis (TB)</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Institutes of Health, Office of AIDS Research)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://hivinfo.nih.gov/es/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/el-vih-y-la-tuberculosis-tb" data-sid="129870">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/risk-factors/country.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="160690" >TB Risk and People Born in or Who Travel to Places Where TB is Common</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> - <span class="textdesc">TB Risk and People Born in or Who Travel to Places Where TB is Common</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/risk-factors/hiv.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="33238" >TB Risk and People with HIV</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_42"></a> <section id="cat_42_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Specifics </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section42" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/about/active-tuberculosis-disease.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="160661" >About Active Tuberculosis Disease</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/about/drug-resistant.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="64886" >About Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Disease</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/about/inactive-tuberculosis.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="158192" >About Inactive Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/topic/basics/tbinfectiondisease.htm" data-sid="101108">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/treatment/drug-resistant-tuberculosis.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="149966" >Treating Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Disease</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_79"></a> <section id="cat_79_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Statistics and Research </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section79" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/statistics/reports/2022/default.htm" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="111688" >Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2022</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/risk-factors/correctional-facilities.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="111256" >TB Risk and People Who Live or Work in Correctional Facilities</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/topic/populations/correctional/default.htm" data-sid="157712">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/tuberculosis" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="68373" data-org="NIAID">Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/health-equity/black-or-african-american-persons.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="104536" >Tuberculosis and Black or African American Persons</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/topic/populations/tbinafricanamericans/default.htm" data-sid="157728">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/health-equity/hispanic-or-latino-persons.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="111872" >Tuberculosis and Hispanic or Latino Persons</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb-data/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="123926" >Tuberculosis Data</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_27"></a> <section id="cat_27_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Clinical Trials </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section27" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?cond=%22Tuberculosis%22&aggFilters=status:not%20rec" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="27231" data-org="NIH">ClinicalTrials.gov: Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Institutes of Health)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_59"></a> <section id="cat_59_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Journal Articles <span class="subheading">References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)</span> </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section59" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39252005" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="906" >Article: Improving access to tuberculosis preventive treatment for children in Ethiopia: designing...</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39150949" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="906" >Article: Isoniazid preventive therapy during infancy does not adversely affect growth among...</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39148008" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="906" >Article: Expanding Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra庐 and LF-LAM testing for diagnosis of tuberculosis...</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22Tuberculosis%22%5Bmajr%3Anoexp%5D+AND+humans%5Bmh%5D+AND+english%5Bla%5D+AND+%22last+1+Year%22+%5Bedat%5D+AND+%28patient+education+handout%5Bpt%5D+OR+guideline%5Bpt%5D+OR+clinical+trial%5Bpt%5D%29++NOT+%28letter%5Bpt%5D+OR+case+reports%5Bpt%5D+OR+editorial%5Bpt%5D+OR+comment%5Bpt%5D%29+AND+free+full+text%5Bsb%5D+" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="906" >Tuberculosis -- see more articles</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_82"></a> <section id="cat_82_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Reference Desk </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section82" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/glossary/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="59135" >Glossary of Tuberculosis Terms</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/topic/basics/glossary.htm" data-sid="119107">Spanish</a> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_83"></a> <section id="cat_83_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Find an Expert </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section83" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.lung.org/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="1288" >American Lung Association</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="1226" >Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/spanish/" data-sid="33974">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="523" data-org="NIAID">National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_8"></a> <section id="cat_8_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Children </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section8" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/tuberculosis.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="4110" >Tuberculosis (For Parents)</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Nemours Foundation)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://kidshealth.org/es/parents/tuberculosis.html" data-sid="102889">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/about/children.html" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="104531" >Tuberculosis in Children</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_7"></a> <section id="cat_7_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Women </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section7" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/treatment/pregnancy.htm" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="59129" >Treatment for TB During Pregnancy</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_69"></a> <section id="cat_69_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Patient Handouts </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section69" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003766.htm" data-sid="83363" >Acid-fast stain</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Medical Encyclopedia)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/003766.htm" data-sid="85752">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003073.htm" data-sid="82737" >Coughing up blood</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Medical Encyclopedia)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/003073.htm" data-sid="50745">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000624.htm" data-sid="81897" >Disseminated tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Medical Encyclopedia)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/000624.htm" data-sid="87006">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000650.htm" data-sid="81588" >Meningitis - tuberculous</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Medical Encyclopedia)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/000650.htm" data-sid="85247">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003839.htm" data-sid="83662" >PPD skin test</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Medical Encyclopedia)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/003839.htm" data-sid="85719">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/prevention/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="90173" >Preventing Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/publications/factseries/prevention_es.htm" data-sid="158469">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000077.htm" data-sid="81009" >Pulmonary tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Medical Encyclopedia)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/000077.htm" data-sid="86076">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000425.htm" data-sid="102199" >Taking medicines to treat tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Medical Encyclopedia)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/patientinstructions/000425.htm" data-sid="102186">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factseries/exposure_eng.pdf" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="90172" >Tuberculosis Facts - Exposure to TB</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> - <span class="desccode">PDF</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factseries/cure_eng.pdf" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="90171" >Tuberculosis Facts: TB Can Be Treated</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> - <span class="desccode">PDF</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/publications/factseries/pdf/tbcanbetreated_es.pdf" data-sid="158690">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/testing/pdf/skinTestingInformation-508.pdf" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="159366" >What You Need to Know about the TB Skin Test</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> - <span class="desccode">PDF</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/media/pdfs/What_You_Need_to_Know_About_TB.pdf" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="90176" >What You Need to Know About Tuberculosis</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> - <span class="desccode">PDF</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/esp/publications/factsheets/pdf/bcg_es.pdf" data-sid="158710">Spanish</a> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div class="side"> <aside> <section id="ht-img-section"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header hide-offscreen"> <h2>Topic Image</h2> </div> <div class="section-body no-header"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/Tuberculosis.jpg" title="Tuberculosis" alt="Tuberculosis" /> </div> </div> </section> <section id="encyclopedia-box"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header red"> <h2>MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA</h2> </div> <div id="more_encyclopedia" class="section-body"> <ul> <li><a data-sid="80132" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003567.htm">ACE blood test</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83363" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003766.htm">Acid-fast stain</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83383" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003788.htm">Chest CT</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83432" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003804.htm">Chest x-ray</a></li> <li><a data-sid="82737" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003073.htm">Coughing up blood</a></li> <li><a data-sid="81897" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000624.htm">Disseminated tuberculosis</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83107" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003378.htm">Gastric culture</a></li> <li><a data-sid="80110" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003363.htm">Hemoglobinuria test</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83733" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003864.htm">Mediastinoscopy with biopsy</a></li> <li><a data-sid="81588" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000650.htm">Meningitis - tuberculous</a></li> </ul><ul class="more-links"> <li><a data-sid="83476" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003740.htm">Mycobacterial culture</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83732" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003863.htm">Open pleural biopsy</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83465" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003725.htm">Pleural fluid culture</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83731" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003862.htm">Pleural needle biopsy</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83662" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003839.htm">PPD skin test</a></li> <li><a data-sid="81009" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000077.htm">Pulmonary tuberculosis</a></li> <li><a data-sid="82444" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001354.htm">Scrofula</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83463" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003723.htm">Sputum culture</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83464" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003724.htm">Sputum stain for mycobacteria</a></li> <li><a data-sid="83617" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003922.htm">Synovial biopsy</a></li> <li><a data-sid="102199" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000425.htm">Taking medicines to treat tuberculosis</a></li> </ul> <div aria-live="polite" class="live-area hide-offscreen"></div> <button class="more-btn" role="button" aria-controls="more_encyclopedia" type="submit"> <span class="more">Show More</span><span class="more icon icon-more"></span> <span class="less">Show Less</span><span class="less icon icon-more"></span> </button> </div> </div> </section> <section id="related-topics"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header"> <h2>Related Health Topics</h2> </div> <div class="section-body"> <ul id="related"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/mycobacterialinfections.html">Mycobacterial Infections</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <section id="primary-institute-section"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header"> <h2>National Institutes of Health</h2> </div> <div class="section-body"> The primary NIH organization for research on <span class="italic">Tuberculosis</span> is the <a href="http://www.niaid.nih.gov/" target="TheNewWin">National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases</a> </div> </div> </section> <section id="foreign-languages"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header"> <h2>Other Languages</h2> </div> <div class="section-body"> Find <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/languages/tuberculosis.html">health information in languages other than English</a> on <em>Tuberculosis</em> </div> </div> </section> <section> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header hide-offscreen"> <h2>Disclaimers</h2> </div> <div class="section-body no-header"> MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/disclaimers.html">disclaimer</a> about external links and our <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/criteria.html">quality guidelines</a>. </div> </div> </section> </aside> </div> <div class="page-action-bottom"> <div class="page-actions"></div> </div> </article> </div> <p>The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.</p> <div id="citation-how-to"> <button><span>Learn how to cite this page</span></button> </div> </div> <footer> <div id="mplus-footer"> <div class="footer1"> <ul class="secondarynav"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/">About MedlinePlus</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/">What's New</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html">Site Map</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&category=medlineplus&from=https%3A//medlineplus.gov/tuberculosis.html" target="_blank"><span>Customer Support</span></a></li> </ul> <ul class="follow-footer"> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/rss.html" class="follow-item">Subscribe to RSS<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/feed.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="RSS" title="RSS"></a> </li> <li> <span class="follow-label">Follow us</span> <a href="https://twitter.com/medlineplus" class="follow-item" target="_blank"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_twitter.png" class="follow-icon" alt="X" title="X"> </a> <a href="https://facebook.com/Mplus.gov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_fb.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Facebook" title="Facebook"> </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mplusgov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/Instagram_Glyph_Gradient_RGB.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Instagram" title="Instagram"> </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/social-media-toolkit/" class="social-media-toolkit-item">Social Media Toolkit<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_social_media_toolkit.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="Social Media Toolkit" title="Social Media Toolkit"></a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="footer2"> <ul> <li><a href=" https://www.nlm.nih.gov/web_policies.html" target='_blank'>NLM Web Policies</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/usingcontent/" >Copyright</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/accessibility.html">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/criteria/">Guidelines for Links</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/plugins.html">Viewers & Players</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html" target="_blank">HHS Vulnerability Disclosure</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/medlineplus-connect/">MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/developers/">For Developers</a></li> </ul> <div class="address"> <a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Library of Medicine</a> <span>8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894</span> <a href="https://www.hhs.gov" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a> <a href="https://www.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Institutes of Health</a> </div> <div class="date"> <span id="lastupdate">Last updated August 26, 2024</span> </div> <div class="return-top"><a href="#top" title="Return to top"><img class="return-top-icon" alt="Return to top" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/return-top.png"></a></div> </div> </div> </footer> </div> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/jquery-3.6.0.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-frontend-controls-new.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-share.js?id=1112022" type="text/javascript"></script>  <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/control.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/js/uswds.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type='application/ld+json'> [ { "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalWebPage", "name": "Tuberculosis", "description": "Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria that attacks the lungs. Skin tests, blood tests, and x\u002Drays can tell if you have TB. Learn more.", "mainContentOfPage": "What is tuberculosis (TB)?\u000ATuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease that usually attacks the lungs. But it can also attack other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain. \u000A\u000ANot everyone infected with TB bacteria (germs) becomes sick. So, there are two types of TB conditions:\u000A\u000AInactive (latent) TB infection, where the TB germs live in your body but don\u0027t make you sick. \u000ATB disease (active TB) where you get sick from the TB germs. TB disease can almost always be cured with antibiotics. But if it\u0027s not treated properly, it can be fatal.\u000A\u000A\u000ATB is found in the U.S., but it is more common in certain other countries.\u000A\u000AWhat causes tuberculosis (TB)?\u000ATB is caused by bacteria (germs) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The germs spread from person to person through the air. People who have TB disease in their throat or lungs spread the germs in the air when they cough, sneeze, talk, or sing. If you breathe in the air that has the germs, you can get TB.\u000A\u000ATB is not spread by touching, kissing, or sharing food or dishes.\u000A\u000AYou\u0027re more likely to catch TB from people you live or work with than from people you see for shorter amounts of time.\u000A\u000AWho is more likely to get infected with tuberculosis (TB) germs?\u000AAnyone who is near a person with TB disease can get infected with the germs. You are more likely to be near someone with TB disease if you:\u000A\u000AWere born in or often travel to countries where TB disease is common\u000AAre a health care worker\u000AWork or live in a place where TB is more common, such as shelters for people without homes, jails, and nursing homes\u000A\u000A\u000AWho is more likely to develop TB disease?\u000ACertain people are more likely to get sick with TB disease after they get infected. They include people who:\u000A\u000AHave HIV\u000ABecame infected with TB in the last 2 years\u000AHave other diseases, such as diabetes, that make it hard for your body to fight TB germs\u000AHave alcohol use disorder (AUD) or inject illegal drugs \u000AWere not treated correctly for TB in the past\u000AAre under age 5\u000AAre an older adult\u000ATake medicines that weaken the immune system, such as medicines taken after an organ transplant, steroids, and specialized treatments for certain autoimmune diseases\u000A \u000A\u000AWhat are the symptoms of tuberculosis (TB)?\u000AMost people who have TB germs in their bodies don\u0027t get sick with TB disease. Instead, they have inactive TB infection. With an inactive TB infection, you:\u000A\u000ADon\u0027t have symptoms\u000ACan\u0027t spread TB to others\u000ACould get sick with active TB disease in the future if your immune system becomes weak for another reason\u000ANeed to take medicine to prevent getting sick with active TB disease in the future\u000A\u000A\u000AIf you have TB disease, the TB germs are active, meaning that they are growing (multiplying) inside your body and making you sick. If the TB is growing in your lungs or throat, you can spread the TB germs to other people. You can get sick with TB disease weeks to years after you\u0027re infected with TB germs.\u000A\u000AWith TB disease, your symptoms will depend on where the TB is growing in your body:\u000A\u000AGeneral symptoms may include: \u000A\u0009\u000A\u0009\u0009Chills and fever\u000A\u0009\u0009Night sweats (heavy sweating during sleep)\u000A\u0009\u0009Losing weight without trying\u000A\u0009\u0009Loss of appetite\u000A\u0009\u0009Weakness or fatigue\u000A\u0009\u000A\u000ASymptoms from TB disease in your lungs may include:\u000A\u0009\u000A\u0009\u0009A cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks\u000A\u0009\u0009Coughing up blood or sputum (a thick mucus from the lungs)\u000A\u0009\u0009Chest pain\u000A\u0009\u000A\u000A\u000A\u000AHow is tuberculosis (TB) diagnosed?\u000AYour health care provider or your local health department can test you to find out if you have TB germs in your body. They will give you either a TB skin or blood test. \u000A\u000AIf your test shows that you have TB germs, you\u0027ll need to have other tests to see if the germs are actively growing:\u000A\u000ATests for TB disease in the lungs usually include testing samples of your sputum and having chest x\u002Drays. \u000ATests for TB disease in other parts of your body may include tests of urine and tissue samples. \u000A\u000A\u000AYou may need a TB test if you have symptoms of TB disease or if you are at high risk because you are more likely to be near someone with TB disease. \u000A\u000APeople who have HIV also need to get tested for TB. HIV weakens your immune system. So if you have both HIV and inactive TB, the TB can quickly become active TB disease. You will need treatment for the inactive TB as soon as possible to prevent active TB disease.\u000A\u000AWhat is the treatment for tuberculosis (TB)? \u000AThe treatment for both inactive TB infection and TB disease is antibiotics. To make sure you get rid of all the TB germs in your body, it\u0027s very important to follow the directions for taking your medicine.\u000A\u000AIf you don\u0027t follow the directions, the TB germs in your body could change and become antibiotic resistant. That means the medicine may stop working and your TB may become hard to cure. \u000A\u000AFor inactive TB infections, you need to take medicines for three, four, six, or nine months, depending on the treatment plan. Treatment helps make sure you don\u0027t get TB disease in the future. \u000AFor active TB disease, you usually need to take medicines for four, six, or nine months, depending on the treatment plan. Treatment will almost always cure you if you take your pills the right way. \u000AFor TB disease in your lungs or throat, you\u0027ll need to stay home for a few weeks, so you don\u0027t spread disease to other people. You can protect the people you live with by: \u000A\u0009\u000A\u0009\u0009Covering your nose and mouth.\u000A\u0009\u0009Opening windows when possible.\u000A\u0009\u0009Not getting too close to them.\u000A\u0009\u000A\u000AFor drug\u002Dresistant TB disease, which means that the TB germs are resistant to certain TB medicines, you will need to take special medicines. Treatment may take a long time, sometimes months or years. The medicines can cause side effects. Your provider will closely monitor your treatment to make sure the medicines are working.\u000A\u000A\u000ABy following medical advice for TB testing and treatment, you can keep yourself healthy and help stop the spread of TB.\u000A\u000ACenters for Disease Control and Prevention", "primaryImageOfPage": { "@type": "ImageObject", "contentUrl": "https://medlineplus.gov/images/Tuberculosis.jpg" }, "url": "https://medlineplus.gov/tuberculosis.html" } ] </script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

Tuberculosis | TB | TB Test | MedlinePlus