Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
▪ Child Examination
(CHDP)
▪ Child Injury Prevention Services
▪ Child Safety Seats
▪ Helmets
▪ HIV/AIDS Testing
▪ Immunizations
▪ Tobacco Education and Prevention
▪ Tuberculosis
Q: How is TB spread?
A: TB is spread through the air from one person to another. When a
person
with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs or sneezes the
bacteria are
spread into the air. People nearby may breathe in these
bacteria and
become infected. This is usually family members, friends,
and coworkers
TB can pass from the
lungs into the blood and on to other parts of the
body. TB in organs
such as the kidneys or bones is not infectious to
others.
Q: How can I get
tested for Latent TB?
A: You can get a TB skin test at the health department or at your
doctor's
office.
You should get tested
for TB if:
▪ you have spent
time with a person with known or suspected to
have TB disease
▪ you have HIV
infection, cancer or another illness that reduces your
body’s
ability to fight infection.
▪ you think you
might have TB disease
▪ you are from a
country where TB disease is very common (most
countries in Latin
America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern
Europe, and Russia)
▪ you inject drugs
▪ you live somewhere
in the U.S. where TB disease is more common
(homeless shelters,
migrant farm camps, prisons and jails, and some
nursing homes)
If you do not have TB
infection or disease your skin test will not react
with redness and
swelling and will be “negative.” No further tests or
treatment are
necessary unless you have been exposed to someone with
TB disease.
If you have a reaction to the skin test of redness and swelling this
is a
“positive” test. The doctor or nurse will ask you some questions
and
may do other tests to see if you have TB disease. Usually these
tests
include a chest x-ray and a test of the ucus you cough up. If
the TB
disease may be somewhere in your both besides your lungs, your
blood
or urine may be tested.
If you have recently spent time with someone with infectious TB, your
skin test reaction may not be positive yet. You may need a second skin
test 10 to 12 weeks after the last time you spent time with the
infectious
person. This is because it can take several weeks after
infection for your
immune system to be able to react to the TB skin
test. If your reaction
to the second test is negative, you probably do
not have TB infection.
Q: What if I have been vaccinated with BCG?
A: BCG is a vaccine for TB. This vaccine is not widely used in the
United
States, but it is often given to infants and small children in
other
countries where TB is common. BCG vaccine does not always
protect
people from TB.
If you were vaccinated with BCG, you may have a positive reaction to a
TB skin test. This reaction may be due to the BCG vaccine itself or to
latent TB infection. But your positive reaction probably means that
you
have latent TB infection if:
▪ you recently spent
time with a person who has TB disease
▪ you are from an
area of the world where TB disease is very common
(most countries in
Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia,
Eastern Europe, and
Russia)
▪ you spend time
where TB is common (homeless shelters,
drug-treatment centers,
health care clinics, jails, prisons)
Q: What if I have
HIV infection?
A: Because HIV infection weakens the immune system, people with latent
TB infection and HIV infection are at very high risk of developing TB
disease. All HIV-infected people should be given a TB skin test to
find
out if they have latent TB infection. If they have latent TB
infection,
they need treatment for latent TB infection as soon as
possible to
prevent them from developing TB disease. If they have TB
disease,
they must take medicine to cure the disease.
San Benito County Health & Human Services Agency
Public Health Department
439 Fourth Street
Hollister, CA 95023
(831) 637-5367
Fax: (831) 637-9073
© 2007 San Benito County Health & Human Services Agency Public Health Division, All Rights Reserved