What is the difference between latent TB infection and TB disease?
What is the difference between latent TB infection and TB disease?
Persons with latent TB infection do not feel sick and do not have any symptoms. They are infected with M. tuberculosis, but do not have TB disease. The only sign of TB infection is a positive reaction to the tuberculin skin test or TB blood test.
What does it mean to have dormant TB?
Your tests show that you have latent TB infection, also referred to as “LTBI.” Latent TB infection means TB germs are in your body but it is like the germs are sleeping. The latent TB germs are not hurting you and cannot spread to other people. If the TB germs wake up and become active, they can make you sick.
Can dormant tuberculosis become active?
After an initial infection, the bacteria that causes TB often becomes dormant in the body. But if left untreated, it can become active and infectious. After an initial infection, the bacteria that causes TB often becomes dormant in the body. But if left untreated, it can become active and infectious.
Does dormant TB need to be treated?
Treatment of latent TB infection is essential to controlling TB in the United States because it substantially reduces the risk that latent TB infection will progress to TB disease. In the United States, up to 13 million people may have latent TB infection.
How long can TB lay dormant?
TB can stay dormant in the body for months or even many years before making a person ill. When TB is dormant the person has no symptoms of TB – this is called ‘latent tuberculosis’.
Is dormant TB contagious?
A person who has been exposed to TB bacteria may become infected. A person with latent TB infection (LTBI) cannot spread the bacteria to others right away. Only those who develop active TB disease can spread the bacteria to others.
How long can tuberculosis be dormant?
What is the Difference Between Latent TB Infection and Active TB Disease?
| Latent TB Infection | Active TB Disease |
|---|---|
| Usually treated by taking one medicine for 9 months. | Treated by taking three or four medicines for at least 6 months. |
How long can TB remain dormant?
What are the symptoms of latent TB?
The Difference between Latent TB Infection (LTBI) and TB Disease
- a bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer.
- pain in the chest.
- coughing up blood or sputum.
- weakness or fatigue.
- weight loss.
- no appetite.
- chills.
- fever.
What are the 4 stages of TB?
TB infection happens in 4 stages: the initial macrophage response, the growth stage, the immune control stage, and the lung cavitation stage. These four stages happen over roughly one month.