Tuberculosis

What is Tuberculosis (TB)?

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection caused by TB germs and usually affects the lungs. In some people, TB can also affect other parts of the body.

People with TB germs in their body can have either TB disease or TB infection. Not everyone who has TB germs in their body become sick.

TB Disease:
You have TB germs in your body. You are sick and have TB symptoms. You are sick because the TB germs are growing and multiplying in your body. You can spread TB germs to others when you cough, sneeze, sing, or talk. TB disease can be treated and cured. A health care provider prescribes antibiotics to kill the TB germs in your body.

TB Infection or Latent TB Infection (LTBI):

You have TB germs in your body, but you are not sick and you do not have TB symptoms. You are not sick because your body is fighting the TB germs and stopping them from growing and multiplying. You cannot spread TB germs to others because the TB germs in your body are not growing or multiplying. TB infection can be treated and cured. A health care provider prescribes antibiotics to kill the TB germs in your body.

What should I do if I have TB symptoms?

How does TB spread from person to person?

TB can spread through close contact with someone who has TB and has symptoms of TB.

It can be spread when someone sick with TB symptoms coughs, sneezes, sings, or talks. Another individual can get sick by breathing in the droplets that contain the TB germs.

Who is more likely to get TB?

Anyone can get TB, but you are more likely to get TB if:

• You’ve spent a lot of time with someone who is sick with TB.
• You’ve lived or visited countries where TB is more common.
• You have a weakened immune system.
• You are under 5 years of age.
• You live in overcrowded conditions.
• You regularly smoke or drink alcohol.

Can TB be treated with medication?

Yes, TB can be treated and cured. A health care provider prescribes antibiotics to kill the TB germs.

The only way to get rid of the TB germs is to take the full course of TB treatment.

If you have TB disease and do not take antibiotics to kill the TB germs, you will get sicker because the germs will continue to grow and multiply in your body. It's important to take the antibiotics correctly and for as long as your health care provider has told you, even if you feel better. If you stop your treatment early, TB could come back.

If you have TB infection and do not take antibiotics to kill the TB germs, your body might not be able to keep fighting the TB germs and stop them from growing and multiplying. In the future, the germs can start to grow and multiply in your body and make you sick.

The Porcupine Health Unit provides TB medication for free.

What should I do if I have spent time with someone with active TB disease?

If you’ve spent a lot of time with someone who has TB symptoms, you should contact your health care provider. Your health care provider may test to check if you have TB germs in your body.

What should I do if I have spent time with someone living with TB infection?

People living with TB infection cannot spread TB germs to others. They cannot spread TB germs to others because the TB germs are not growing or multiplying in their body yet.

You do not have to get tested if you have been around someone living with TB infection. But, if you have been around someone who has TB symptoms, you should get talk to your health care provider.

How do I know if I have been infected with TB germs?

There are TB screening tests to check if you have been infected with TB germs.

There are two tests available to test for TB infection: TB skin tests and TB blood tests.

Talk to your health care provider about screening tests if:

• You’ve spent a lot of time with someone who is sick with TB.
• You have lived or visited countries where TB is more common.
• You have a weakened immune system.
• You live or have lived in crowded conditions.
• You use injection drugs.
• You have lived, worked, or visited an Indigenous community where the rates of TB are higher.
• You’re a health care worker (depending on the setting).

What happens if my screening test is “negative”?

Talk to your health care provider. This negative result most likely means that you do not have TB germs in your body. You may not need more tests. Sometimes health care providers repeat the screening test to confirm that the first one was correct.

Even with a negative test, you can be infected with TB later.

What happens if my screening test is “positive”?

Talk to your health care provider. This positive result most likely means that you have TB germs in your body.

Your health care provider will talk to you about how you are feeling and order more tests, including a chest X-ray, to see if you have TB disease.

If your health care provider assesses that you do not have TB disease but you have TB germs in your body (TB infection), they will talk to you about taking antibiotics to kill the TB germs in your body. Antibiotics are used to kill the TB germs before the germs start making you sick with TB disease.

If I completed antibiotic treatment for TB infection, can I be infected with TB again?

Taking antibiotics to kill the TB germs only treats the TB germs in your body at that time.

It is possible that if you were treated you may be at risk of being infected again in the future if you are around someone sick with TB disease.