What should you do if exposed to TB?
What to Do If You Have Been Exposed To TB. If you think you have been exposed to someone with TB disease, you should contact your doctor or local health department about getting a TB skin test or a special TB blood test. Be sure to tell the doctor or nurse when you spent time with the person who has TB disease.
How long after TB exposure should you be tested?
People can be tested to see if they have TB infection 8-10 weeks after they are initially infected. People with only TB infection are unlikely to have any symptoms. If infected, people may develop to TB disease at anytime during their lifetime or not at all.
How long is a TB risk assessment good for?
Repeat risk assessments should occur every four years (unless otherwise required) to identify any additional risk factors, and TB testing based on the results of the TB risk assessment. Re- testing should only be done in persons who previously tested negative, and have new risk factors since the last assessment.
Is TB contagious during incubation period?
The incubation period may vary from about two to 12 weeks. A person may remain contagious for a long time (as long as viable TB bacteria are present in the sputum) and can remain contagious until they have been on appropriate therapy for several weeks.
How often should people be screened for TB?
If you have a negative skin test, you need a repeat test at least once every four years. If you have a documented positive skin test, you must have an initial chest X-ray. After that, you still need to be screened every four years.
Is asymptomatic TB contagious?
Persons with latent TB infection are not infectious and cannot spread TB infection to others. Overall, without treatment, about 5 to 10% of infected persons will develop TB disease at some time in their lives. About half of those people who develop TB will do so within the first two years of infection.
Can chest xray rule out TB?
Chest Radiograph A posterior-anterior chest radiograph is used to detect chest abnormalities. Lesions may appear anywhere in the lungs and may differ in size, shape, density, and cavitation. These abnormalities may suggest TB, but cannot be used to definitively diagnose TB.
How long is a TB shot good for?
There is limited data investigating the duration of protection from BCG vaccination, with some research suggesting protection lasts for 10 years but may decline over time.