Questions and Answers About Tuberculosis

Questions and Answers About Tuberculosis (TB) was written to provide information on the diagnosis and treatment of TB infection and TB disease for persons who do not have a medical background.  This booklet answers common questions about TB and includes a glossary of terms, plus a few illustrations to make this a helpful resource to many readers without medical training.

Other resources published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/345

Table of Contents:

Introduction
What is TB?
Why is TB still a problem in the United States?
How is TB spread?
What is latent TB infection?
What is TB disease?

TESTING & TREATMENT
Should I get tested for TB?
What are the tests for TB infection?
What if I have a positive test for TB infection?
What if I have been vaccinated with BCG?
If I have latent TB infection, how can I keep from developing TB disease?
What if I have HIV infection?
If I was exposed to someone with TB disease, can I give TB to others?

TB DISEASE
How is TB disease treated?
What are the side effects of TB disease medicines?
Why do I need to take TB medicines regularly?
What is directly observed therapy (DOT)?
How can I remember to take my TB medicines if I am not on DOT?
How can I keep from spreading TB?
What are multidrug-resistant TB and extensively drug-resistant TB?

Target audience are persons with or at risk for TB; persons who provide services for those at high risk for TB such as correctional officers, homeless shelter workers, and emergency responders; persons who may have been exposed to someone with TB in a workplace or school setting; and persons who want to learn more about this disease.