Fact Sheet

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease that can attack any part of your body. It usually affects the lungs, but can affect lymph nodes, kidneys, bones, joints, and other parts of the body.

 

How is it spread?

TB is spread person to person through air. When an infected person who is not taking TB medication coughs or sneezes, the bacteria get into the air. Prolonged exposure is normally necessary for infection to occur.

 

Who gets tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis can affect anyone. People infected with the HIV virus, AIDS patients, persons with weakened immune systems, and the elderly are at increased risk. Other medical risks include: diabetes mellitus, prolonged corticosteroid therapy, immunosuppressive therapy, cancer, silicosis and being 10 percent or more below ideal body weight.

 

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss and a persistent cough. Some people who are infected may not have symptoms.

 

How soon do symptoms appear?

Most people infected with TB never develop active disease. If active TB does develop, it may occur two to three months after infection or years later.

 

When is an infected person contagious?

A person with active TB may remain contagious until he/she has been on appropriate treatment for several weeks. However, a person with TB infection who does not have symptoms of the disease cannot spread the infection to others.

 

What is the treatment for tuberculosis?

People infected with TB should be evaluated for preventive therapy, which includes taking medication for nine months. The exact preventive therapy plan must be determined by a physician. People with active TB must complete a course of curative therapy. Treatment includes an initial two-month phase followed by a continuing phase. Medications may be altered based on laboratory test results. The exact medication plan must be determined by a physician.

 

What if a person isn’t treated?

An untreated person will spread the disease to others and may become severely ill or die.

 

What is the difference between active tuberculosis and TB infection?

Infection may result after close contact with a person who has active pulmonary tuberculosis. A person with TB infection does not feel sick or have any symptoms, but they may develop the disease at a later date. Tuberculosis infection may last a lifetime, never developing into disease. The disease is characterized by appearance of symptoms. In order to spread the disease a person must have active pulmonary TB.

 

How common is it in Washington?

In 2007, Washington State reported 291 cases of tuberculosis for a case rate of 4.4 per 100,000 persons. 34 of the 39 counties had 10 or fewer cases of TB including 16 counties that did not report any cases. King County accounted for 161 55 percent of the 291 cases (incidence rate of 8.6 per 100,000).

 

What is multiple drug resistant tuberculosis?

When patients fail to take TB medications as prescribed, the bacteria can become resistant to treatment.  People exposed to a case of drug-resistant TB, especially if they have a weakened immune system, are at high risk for multiple drug resistant tuberculosis.

 

How common is multiple drug resistant tuberculosis?

Although this is a serious threat that is causing problems in other parts of the nation and the world, it is not a major problem in Washington.

 

What is the treatment for multiple drug resistant tuberculosis?

Advice from a TB specialist is necessary when treating drug resistant TB. It is unknown whether preventive therapy can prevent the development of active TB disease in people who are infected with drug-resistant TB strains.

 

What can be done to prevent the spread of tuberculosis?

The most important way to stop the spread of tuberculosis is to cover the mouth and nose when coughing, and to take all TB medicine exactly as prescribed by a physician. Educating TB patients, providing adequate treatment for people with drug-resistant TB and providing directly observed administration of anti tuberculosis medications is valuable in preventing the further spread of the disease as well.

 

Where can I get more information?

Call the State TB program 360-236-3447.