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What is TB?
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection found most often in the lungs, but can spread to
other parts of the body. Untreated, it can destroy lung tissue and make breathing difficult or impossible.
TB is a particular public health concern because it can spread easily through the air when an
infected person coughs or sneezes.
Latent TB and Active TB
Exposure to TB doesn't always result in illness. Often the disease remains
latent, causing no symptoms. Latent TB can develop into active TB if the immune system weakens, either
through illness, age or other causes. Latent TB is not contagious, but it's still important to identify and treat latent TB to before it can become active.
TB Exposure
Most people are never exposed to a person with
infectious tuberculosis for a period long enough to become infected. People most likely to
become infected are contacts to active TB cases and the foreign born from countries where TB is prevalent.
An estimated 10-15 million U.S. residents and one-third of the world's population are currently
infected with the TB organism. A tuberculin skin test will identify latent TB infection.
Is Latent TB dangerous?
Latent TB infection does not cause sickness, and has no symptoms. Persons with latent TB can't spread the
disease to others. Only a skin test can detect the presence of latent TB infection.
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TB and HIV/AIDS
