|
Latent TB Infection (LTBI) |
OR |
Active TB Disease |
|---|---|---|
| TB germ has entered the body, but is not growing (dormant) | Status | TB germ has entered the body and is growing (replicating) |
| Positive | Skin Test | May be positive or negative |
| No active TB disease | Chest X-Ray, CT scan, or MRI | Most show active TB in chest OR other parts of the body (e.g., lymph node, spine, kidney |
| No TB germs in sputum | Sputum | May have TB germs in sputum |
| No symptoms | Symptoms | Symptoms become more severe over time (e.g., cough, chest pain, chills, weakness, fever, weight loss, night sweats, coughing up blood) |
| Not Contagious Cannot pass TB germ to anyone else | Infectiousness | Contagious If disease is in the lungs and not properly treated with medication |
| Person is at risk of developing disease in the future | Associated Risks | Person has disease and must be treated to prevent disease from getting worse or spreading to others |
| May be prescribed medications for 6-9 months to prevent disease from developing | Treatment | Requires treatment with several medications for at least 6 months to cure the disease |
