How many people have TB?

•     In the last five years in South Carolina, we have had an average of 85 tuberculosis disease cases.
•     Worldwide, TB is the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19.
•     A total of 1.3 million people worldwide died from TB in 2022.

How long has TB been around?

• TB has been around for a long time. It has been found in Egyptian mummies at least 5,400 years old.
• TB has been called consumption. In the early 1800s TB may have caused about 1/3 of all deaths. Years ago people who had TB went to a special hospital, called a sanatorium, where they received treatment. Today, most people get their TB pills at home or some other place, like school or work.

How many people who are infected with TB will develop TB disease?

• Without medicine, about 10% of people infected with TB will develop TB disease at some point in their life.
• Some people are more likely than others to develop TB disease once they have TB infection. This includes people with HIV infection, people who were recently exposed to someone with TB disease, and people with certain medical conditions.

How is TB spread?

• TB is a germ that is spread through the air by someone who has TB disease. You cannot get TB by eating or drinking after someone.
• TB spreads when the sick person with TB disease sneezes, coughs, sings or talks

What is the difference between TB infection and TB disease?

• People with latent TB infection have TB germs in their bodies, but they are not sick because the germs are not active. These people do not have symptoms of TB disease, and they cannot spread the germs to others. However, they may develop TB disease in the future. They are often prescribed treatment to prevent them from developing TB disease.
• People with TB disease are sick from TB germs that are active, meaning they are multiplying and destroying tissue in their body. They usually have symptoms of TB disease. People with TB disease of the lungs or throat can spread germs to others. They are prescribed drugs that can treat TB disease.

What kinds of tests might I have if it is suspected that I have TB?

• The nurse will do a TB skin test or TB blood test.
• The nurse will ask:
  • How Are You Feeling? and
  • About TB Signs and Symptoms
• The doctor may order a chest X-ray.
• The nurse may ask for sputum samples, which must be coughed up from deep in the lungs.

How will a doctor know if someone has TB disease?

• The doctor will look at all these tests to see if you have TB.
• If you do, the doctor will prescribe the pills you need to get well.
• The TB nurse will give you your TB medications, as ordered by the doctor.

When should I be worried that I might have TB?

• When you have been around someone who has TB
• When you have a productive cough for three weeks or longer (this is a cough that is much worse than a regular cough when you have a cold)
• When you have chest pain
• When you are coughing up blood

Other symptoms that might mean you have TB

If you have…

• Fever
• Chills
• Night sweats
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Fatigue (you feel very tired and don't ever feel rested)

If you have these symptoms…

• Go see your family doctor or
• Call the public health department and ask to speak to a TB nurse

Can you get TB in other places in the body besides your lungs?

• Yes, you can get TB anywhere in your body…
  • lymph nodes
  • bladder or kidneys
  • bones and joints
  • skin
  • other places in your body

How do you treat TB?

• There are medications to treat TB that work for most people.
• Most people take four different TB pills and a vitamin pill.
• The TB medications are free, if you get them from the public health department.

If I have TB can I infect other people?

• Yes, you can infect others if your sputum samples show that you are infectious
• When you are infectious the doctor and nurse will order you to stay home and not be around others
• You should stay home until the nurse tells you it is safe for you to go back to work or any other public place

TB germs that need special TB drugs

• Some of our TB pills do not work on certain kinds of TB germs
• Those TB germs are called Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR-TB) or Extensively Drug Resistant TB (XDR-TB). They are resistant to the most effective TB drugs. Resistant means that the usual pills to treat TB do not work

How do you get MDR-TB or XDR-TB?

• You can catch it from someone that has the MDR-TB or XDR-TB germ

OR

• You can change the TB germ you have by not taking your TB pills correctly so that the TB pills don't work - This means the TB germ is resistant to one or more of the TB pills that are used to cure the disease.

Treating MDR-TB and XDR- TB

• If you have these kinds of TB…
  • It will be harder to treat you
  • You will have to take TB pills for a longer period of time
  • You will take TB pills that have more side effects
  • You are less likely to get well

Important!

It is very important to take your TB pills and not miss any doses so:

1. You will finish your TB pills.
2. You will not get MDR-TB or XDR-TB.
3. You will not infect other people with TB.

Taking your TB pills

• Someone from the public health department will help you take your TB medications.
• They will meet you wherever you want to meet so you can take your TB medications and tell them how you are feeling.
• The TB medications are free to you.

What happens if I don't take my TB pills?

• TB is a very serious disease that you can pass to other people.
• DPH is required by law to protect the public.
• If you have TB and do not take your medicine, DPH can take you to court and ask a judge to put you in a facility until you are well.

If you want more information about TB.

• Call your local public health department and ask for the TB department or you can go to the following websites:
  • DPH Clinic Locator
  • http://www.cdc.gov/tb/
  • http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Disease_ctrl/tb/Educational-Materials/edmat.html