Tuberculosis Information
This is the English version
of a pamphlet that has been translated into the Albanian language.
Click here for the Albanian language
version. This pamphlet was adapted (i.e., graphics added) by
the Division of Tuberculosis Control, Virginia Department of Health
from materials developed in 1993 by the New York State Department
of Health.
INFORMATION ON TUBERCULOSIS
(1)
Lately, tuberculosis (TB) has made a comeback. Last year there
were more than 4,500 new cases of TB disease in New York State,
and there are new strains of TB that are hard to treat.
Here are some common questions about TB. If you have more questions
after you read this, talk to your doctor or call your local health
department.
What Causes TB?
TB is caused by bacteria that usually infect the lungs, but
it can affect other parts of the body, too.
What are the symptoms of TB?
Symptoms
of TB disease include fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss,
a persistent cough, and (sometimes) coughing up blood.
What is the test for TB?
There is a simple skin test. A positive test means that the
person has been infected with TB. More tests are needed to see if
a person has TB disease.
What is the difference between TB infection and TB disease?
People with TB infection test positive on their skin test for
TB but they are not sick, and they cannot spread the disease to
anyone else.
Only people sick with TB disease can spread it to others.
Who gets TB?
Anyone at any age can get tuberculosis. But some people are
at higher risk. These include:
- people who have been around people with TB disease;
- the poor;
- the homeless;
- people from countries where theres a lot of TB;
- nursing home residents;
- inmates at correctional facilities;
- alcoholics and IV drug users;
- people with medical conditions (such as diabetes, and some cancers)
that weaken their ability to fight infection;
- people with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS).
People with HIV are at risk for TB because their immune systems
are damaged, leaving them unable to resist disease. All people at
risk for TB should be tested. The test is available through doctors
and local health departments.
How is tuberculosis spread?
TB is spread in the air. TB gets in the air when a person who has
TB disease
coughs, sneezes or speaks. Anyone who is around a person with TB
disease can become infected, but usually it takes days of close
contact. You cant get TB by touching things like furniture,
dishes, stair railings, etc., that have been handled by someone
with TB disease. And you cant get TB from a person with TB
infection.
What is the treatment for TB?
Doctors can prevent a person with TB infection from getting
TB disease with medication that must be taken for 6 to 12 months.
People with TB disease are given at least two drugs also
for 6 to 12 months.
What is the new strain of TB?
A few patients with TB disease do not respond to normal treatment.
This kind of TB is called multipledrugresistant TB (MDR
TB). For MDR TB, doctors try several combinations of drugs. If they
cannot find the right combination, the patient may die.
In summary, untreated TB can be a fatal
disease, but TB is almost always treatable. Unless you are in one
of the risk groups, TB probably is not a threat to you. However,
if you think you are at risk or if you have any reason to be concerned,
talk to your doctor or local health department.
This is the English version of a pamphlet
that has been translated into the Albanian language. Click
here for the Albanian version. This pamphlet was adapted (i.e.,
graphics added) by the Division of Tuberculosis Control, Virginia
Department of Health from materials developed in 1993 by the New
York State Department of Health.
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