Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
Tuberculosis(TB)can be an active infection or a latent infection. In an active TB infection, theMycobacterium tuberculosisbacteria multiply in the body, most oftenin the lungs. During active infection with TB, you may feel ill and can transmit the infection to others.
Alatent TB infectionoccurs when the bacteria are in the body but not causing serious illness. Both active and latent TB infections have effective treatments but require a long course of antibiotics.
This article will discuss the signs of active TB, diagnostics, and treatments available.
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Symptoms of Active Tuberculosis Infection
Thesymptoms of an active TB infectionare similar to those ofpneumoniaand other infections of the lungs. The most common signs of active infection with TB can include:
Rare Symptoms
In some rare cases, TB can spread to other parts of the body. The most common areas where TB will spread include the lymph nodes, brain,spinal cord, abdominal cavity, pericardium (the membrane surrounding the heart), and joints.
If TB is found in an area other than the lungs, it is considered a more severe form of tuberculosis called extrapulmonary tuberculosis.
The symptoms will depend on the body site. It may produce:
All of the symptoms of TB are serious. Contact a healthcare provider if you suspect a tuberculosis infection because these symptoms require medical evaluation.
TB often spreads among individuals living close together. For this reason, special populations are at higher risk for developing TB, such as residents and staff in correctional facilities, nursing homes, and homeless shelters.
TB is more common in international regions, particularly countries in Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa.Frequent travel to these regions can increase the risk of acquiring TB.
Despite TB’s high level of infectiousness, not every person who acquires TB will develop symptoms. In many cases, TB will remain latent within the body after exposure, and you may never develop any signs or symptoms of active TB.
About 5–10% of people with latent TB infection progress to active TB disease.If a person has a weakened immune system due to a condition or treatment (such as corticosteroids), they are more likely to develop active TB after acquiring TB. This includes people with HIV, diabetes, head and neck cancer, and injection drug users.
Diagnosis of Active Tuberculosis
Diagnostic testsare available to evaluate for active TB infection. Because TB is so prevalent, some tests are for screening purposes and other tests are for confirming the diagnosis.
Screening for latent TB is recommended for anyone at greater risk of exposure to TB. Your healthcare provider may recommend one-time screening or regular screening if you are at continued risk of exposure.
The most common tests aretuberculin skin testsand interferon-gamma release blood tests (QuantiFERON-Gold or T-SPOT.TB). These tests often screen for TB exposure. However, they cannot diagnose active tuberculosis.
The results of these tests may come out positive if you have latent TB or were vaccinated with theTB vaccine bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG), whose use in the United States is uncommon.
Treatment for Active Tuberculosis
Thetreatment for active TB infectionrequires a combination of antibiotics.Because TB is prone to developing resistance, it can be a challenging bacteria to completely remove from the body.
Fortunately, combination therapies use multiple antibiotics targeting different pathways to treat TB effectively. These antibiotics must be taken for several months. Your healthcare provider will evaluate your medical conditions and TB status to better develop a custom treatment plan.
The antibiotic medications that treat TB often include:
In the United States, the most common treatment duration for these four antibiotics is six months. Some people will need nine months of treatment. In some cases, the treatment may be simplified to two agents and treatment for four months.
Summary
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that most often affects the lungs. It can be active and produce symptoms or latent symptoms. The symptoms of TB can often feel similar to those of other infections and may include a fever, cough, or chills. Tests and imaging can detect active or latent TB infection.
Frequently Asked QuestionsA positive TB test can indicate exposure to TB, active infection with TB, latent infection, or having had a TB vaccine. If you have a positive TB test, work with your healthcare provider to evaluate the best next step. Imaging and further testing can determine whether there is an active infection.Learn MoreWhat Is an X-Ray?TB is very infectious and difficult for the body to remove. If you have a TB infection, you will need treatment to fully eradicate the bacteria. Without treatment, TB will remain in the body and the bacteria may progress to develop a severe infection.Learn MoreLatent vs. Active TBTB is a bacteria that has developed resistance to many antibiotics. The bacteria have numerous ways to avoid detection and clearance from the body. In addition, TB can develop resistance to antibiotics treatments. As a result, combination treatment targeting multiple pathways for a long duration of time to ensure complete clearance is necessary. Without complete treatment, TB infection has the potential to happen again.
A positive TB test can indicate exposure to TB, active infection with TB, latent infection, or having had a TB vaccine. If you have a positive TB test, work with your healthcare provider to evaluate the best next step. Imaging and further testing can determine whether there is an active infection.Learn MoreWhat Is an X-Ray?
A positive TB test can indicate exposure to TB, active infection with TB, latent infection, or having had a TB vaccine. If you have a positive TB test, work with your healthcare provider to evaluate the best next step. Imaging and further testing can determine whether there is an active infection.
Learn MoreWhat Is an X-Ray?
TB is very infectious and difficult for the body to remove. If you have a TB infection, you will need treatment to fully eradicate the bacteria. Without treatment, TB will remain in the body and the bacteria may progress to develop a severe infection.Learn MoreLatent vs. Active TB
TB is very infectious and difficult for the body to remove. If you have a TB infection, you will need treatment to fully eradicate the bacteria. Without treatment, TB will remain in the body and the bacteria may progress to develop a severe infection.
Learn MoreLatent vs. Active TB
TB is a bacteria that has developed resistance to many antibiotics. The bacteria have numerous ways to avoid detection and clearance from the body. In addition, TB can develop resistance to antibiotics treatments. As a result, combination treatment targeting multiple pathways for a long duration of time to ensure complete clearance is necessary. Without complete treatment, TB infection has the potential to happen again.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.TB facts.World Health Organization.Tuberculosis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tuberculosis (TB).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Questions and answers about tuberculosis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The difference between latent TB infection and TB disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing for TB infection.US Preventive Services Task Force, Mangione CM, Barry MJ, et al.Screening for Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA. 2023;329(17):1487-1494. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.4899Izudi J, Tamwesigire IK, Bajunirwe F.Treatment success and mortality among adults with tuberculosis in rural eastern Uganda: a retrospective cohort study.BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):501. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08646-0Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment for TB disease.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.TB facts.World Health Organization.Tuberculosis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tuberculosis (TB).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Questions and answers about tuberculosis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The difference between latent TB infection and TB disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing for TB infection.US Preventive Services Task Force, Mangione CM, Barry MJ, et al.Screening for Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA. 2023;329(17):1487-1494. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.4899Izudi J, Tamwesigire IK, Bajunirwe F.Treatment success and mortality among adults with tuberculosis in rural eastern Uganda: a retrospective cohort study.BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):501. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08646-0Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment for TB disease.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.TB facts.World Health Organization.Tuberculosis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tuberculosis (TB).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Questions and answers about tuberculosis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The difference between latent TB infection and TB disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing for TB infection.US Preventive Services Task Force, Mangione CM, Barry MJ, et al.Screening for Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA. 2023;329(17):1487-1494. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.4899Izudi J, Tamwesigire IK, Bajunirwe F.Treatment success and mortality among adults with tuberculosis in rural eastern Uganda: a retrospective cohort study.BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):501. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08646-0Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment for TB disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.TB facts.
World Health Organization.Tuberculosis.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tuberculosis (TB).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Questions and answers about tuberculosis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The difference between latent TB infection and TB disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing for TB infection.
US Preventive Services Task Force, Mangione CM, Barry MJ, et al.Screening for Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA. 2023;329(17):1487-1494. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.4899
Izudi J, Tamwesigire IK, Bajunirwe F.Treatment success and mortality among adults with tuberculosis in rural eastern Uganda: a retrospective cohort study.BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):501. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08646-0
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment for TB disease.
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