Can a person with TB get the disease?
People with TB disease are sick. They may also be able to spread the bacteria to people they spend time with every day. Many people who have latent TB infection never develop TB disease. Some people develop TB disease soon after becoming infected (within weeks) before their immune system can fight the TB bacteria.
Can a person with latent TB be sick?
People who are infected, but not sick, have what is called latent TB infection People who have latent TB infection do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB to others. But some people with latent TB infection go on to get TB disease. There is good news. People with TB disease can be treated if they seek medical help.
How is tuberculosis transmitted from person to person?
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease, and can be caught by breathing in the air that an infected person has contaminated through: TB germs must be forced into the air, and to get a tuberculosis infection you must breathe in those germs.
What does it mean if you have TB but are not contagious?
Latent TB. You have the germs in your body, but your immune system stops them from spreading. That means you don’t have any symptoms and you’re not contagious. But the infection is still alive in your body and can one day become active.
People with TB disease are sick. They may also be able to spread the bacteria to people they spend time with every day. Many people who have latent TB infection never develop TB disease. Some people develop TB disease soon after becoming infected (within weeks) before their immune system can fight the TB bacteria.
How is TB passed from one person to another?
• TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB germs are passed through the air when someone who is sick with TB disease coughs, laughs, sings, or sneezes. • If you breathe air that has TB germs, you may get TB infection.
People who are infected, but not sick, have what is called latent TB infection People who have latent TB infection do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB to others. But some people with latent TB infection go on to get TB disease. There is good news. People with TB disease can be treated if they seek medical help.
Can you get TB from breathing in TB germs?
• If you breathe air that has TB germs, you may get TB infection. This means you have only dormant (sleeping) TB germs in your body. These dormant germs are not making you sick, and you cannot pass these germs to anyone else. • If these dormant TB germs in your body wake up and multiply, you will get sick with TB disease.