RestoredCDC.org Comparison

    Original site: www.cdc.gov/tb/testing/diagnosing-tuberculosis.html | RestoredCDC.org is an independent project, not affiliated with CDC or any federal entity. Visit CDC.gov for free official information. Due to archival on January 6, 2025, recent outbreak data is unavailable. Videos are not restored. Access data.restoredcdc.org for restored data. Use of this site implies acceptance of this disclaimer.
    [More]
    About Us Report Bug Compare Content
  Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search Skip directly to On This Page
          An official website of the United States government
        Here's how you know
              Official websites use .gov
              A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
              Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
              A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
        Tuberculosis (TB)
          Explore Topics
        Search
          Search
          Clear Input
        For Everyone
          * About
          * Signs and Symptoms
          * Causes and Spread
          * Vaccine
          * Testing for Tuberculosis
          * Exposure
          * Risk Factors
          * Prevention
          * View all
        Health Care Providers
          * Clinical Overview
          * Guidelines
          * Clinical Signs and Symptoms
          * Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine
          * Clinical Testing and Diagnosis
          * Clinical Treatment
          * Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test Toolkit
          * Health Care Provider Communication and Education Resources
          * ICD-10-CM Codes for TB
          * View all
        Public Health
          * Tuberculosis Case Reporting
          * Guidance for Public Health Professionals
          * Laboratory Information
          * False-Positive Investigation Toolkit
          * Prioritizing TB Genotype Clusters
          * Tuberculosis Genotyping
          * Dear Colleague Letters
          * MDDR Request Form
          * TB Programs
          * View all
          Related Topics:
            TB Prevention in Healthcare Settings | Information for Tuberculosis Programs
        View All
      search close search
          search
    Tuberculosis (TB) Menu Close
    Tuberculosis (TB) Menu
          search
              For Everyone
                  * About
                  * Signs and Symptoms
                  * Causes and Spread
                  * Vaccine
                  * Testing for Tuberculosis
                  * Exposure
                  * Risk Factors
                  * Prevention
                  * View All Home
              Health Care Providers
                  * Clinical Overview
                  * Guidelines
                  * Clinical Signs and Symptoms
                  * Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine
                  * Clinical Testing and Diagnosis
                  * Clinical Treatment
                  * Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test Toolkit
                  * Health Care Provider Communication and Education Resources
                  * ICD-10-CM Codes for TB
                  * View All Home
                  * View All
              Public Health
                  * Tuberculosis Case Reporting
                  * Guidance for Public Health Professionals
                  * Laboratory Information
                  * False-Positive Investigation Toolkit
                  * Prioritizing TB Genotype Clusters
                  * Tuberculosis Genotyping
                  * Dear Colleague Letters
                  * MDDR Request Form
                  * TB Programs
                  * View All
              Related Topics
                  * TB Prevention in Healthcare Settings
                  * Information for Tuberculosis Programs
        View All Tuberculosis (TB)
    About Signs and Symptoms Causes and Spread Vaccine Testing for Tuberculosis Exposure Risk Factors Prevention View All
April 22, 2024
January 17, 2025
  Español
  Diagnosing Tuberculosis
          Key points
            * A positive test result for tuberculosis (TB) infection means you have TB germs in your body.
            * Your health care provider will do other tests to determine if you have inactive TB (also called latent TB infection) or active TB disease.
        Why it's important to diagnose TB
        Not everyone infected with TB germs becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: inactive TB and active TB disease.
        Treatment options are available for both inactive TB and active TB disease.
        If you are diagnosed with inactive TB, there are treatments available that can help protect you from getting sick with active TB disease.
        People with active TB disease may be able to spread the germs to people they spend time with every day. Without treatment, active TB disease can be fatal.
          Protect yourself and others‎
          Protect yourself and others
              Getting tested and treated for TB can protect yourself, your family and friends, and your community.
        When to get tested
        You may need a TB test if you have:
          * Symptoms of TB disease
          * Spent time with someone who has active TB disease
          * Factors that put you at higher risk for developing active TB disease
          * Employment, school, travel, or immigration health screening requirements
        How diagnosis works
        Anyone with symptoms of TB disease or a positive TB blood test or TB skin test result should be evaluated by a health care provider for TB disease.
        Medical evaluation for TB disease
        A health care provider may diagnose you with inactive TB or active TB disease based on your:
         1. Medical history
         2. Physical examination
         3. Test for TB infection (TB blood test or TB skin test)
         4. Chest x-ray
         5. Laboratory tests to see if TB germs are present (sputum smear and culture)
         6. Laboratory tests for drug resistance
        Medical history
        A health care provider will ask you questions about your medical history. For example, the health care provider may ask you if you have:
          * Symptoms of TB disease
          * Spent time with someone who has active TB disease
          * Ever had a positive TB blood test or TB skin test
          * Ever been diagnosed with inactive TB or TB disease in the past
          * Factors that may increase your risk for becoming infected with TB germs
        Physical examination
        A physical examination is an essential part of any visit with your health care provider. It can:
          * Provide valuable information about your overall health,
          * Help with the diagnosis, and
          * Reveal other factors that might affect TB treatment.
        Testing for TB infection
        There are two types of tests for TB infection: the TB blood test and the TB skin test. Ask your health care provider which TB test is best for you.
        TB blood test
        TB blood tests (also called interferon-gamma release assays or IGRAs) use a blood sample to find out if you are infected with TB germs. The tests measure how your immune system reacts when a small amount of your blood is mixed with TB proteins.
          Tell your health care provider if you received a TB vaccine‎‎
          Tell your health care provider if you received a TB vaccine‎
              Many people born outside the United States have received the TB vaccine (also known as Bacille Calmette-Guérin or BCG).
              TB blood tests are the preferred test for people who have received the TB vaccine. Unlike the TB skin test, TB blood tests are not affected by BCG vaccination.
        TB skin test
        For the TB skin test, a health care provider uses a small needle to put some testing material under the skin. You will need to return to your health care provider in two to three days to see if there is a reaction.
        Understanding TB blood test or TB skin test results
        A positive test result for TB infection means you have TB germs in your body. Your health care provider will do other tests to determine if you have inactive TB or active TB disease. These tests may include a chest x-ray, and a test of the sputum (phlegm) you cough up.
        A negative test result for TB infection means inactive TB or active TB disease is unlikely, but your health care provider may do more tests, especially if:
          * You have symptoms of active TB disease, like coughing, chest pain, fever, weight loss, or tiredness.
          * You have HIV.
          * You were recently exposed to TB germs.
          Keep Reading: Testing for Tuberculosis
        Chest x-ray
        Most people with TB disease have TB disease of the lungs. Your health care provider may use a chest x-ray to look for signs of TB disease in your lungs.
        Laboratory tests
        Your health care provider may collect samples from you. A common sample is a sputum (phlegm) specimen to test for TB of the lungs. To collect the sample, you cough sputum into a small container. Generally, at least three sputum samples are collected and sent to a laboratory for testing. Your health care provider may also collect a urine sample, take tissue samples, or do other tests. These tests can find TB germs that may be outside your lungs.
        The laboratory will do tests, such as a smear test and a culture test to see whether there are TB germs in your sample. If the laboratory finds TB germs in your sample, they will also do tests to see which TB medicines can kill the TB germs.
        What your diagnosis means
        Inactive TB
        If you have a positive TB blood test or TB skin test, but your health care provider does not find evidence of TB disease after a medical evaluation, you may be diagnosed with inactive TB.
        People with inactive TB are infected with TB germs, but they do not have active TB disease. They do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB to others.
        Without treatment, people with inactive TB can develop active TB disease at any time and become sick.
          Keep Reading: About Inactive Tuberculosis
        Active TB disease
        If you have symptoms of TB disease, a positive TB blood test or TB skin test and your health care provider finds evidence of active TB disease during the medical evaluation, you may be diagnosed with active TB disease.
        People with active TB disease feel sick. They may also be able to spread the germs to people they spend time with every day. Without treatment, active TB disease can be fatal.
          Keep Reading: About Active Tuberculosis Disease
        After a diagnosis
        If you are diagnosed with inactive TB or active TB disease, you can be treated. Your health care provider will discuss treatment options with you.
        Inactive TB
        If you have inactive TB, short and convenient treatments are available that can help protect you from getting sick with active TB disease. You and your health care provider will decide which treatment is best for you.
        If you take your medicine as instructed, it can keep you from developing TB disease. Because there are less TB germs, treatment for inactive TB is much easier than treatment for TB disease.
          You can prevent active TB disease.‎
          You can prevent active TB disease.
              Treating inactive TB is the best way to protect you from developing active TB disease.
        Active TB disease
        If you have active TB disease, you will take medicine to treat the disease. You will need to take and finish all of your TB medicine as directed by your health care provider. This is to help you feel better and prevent other people from getting sick.
        If you have active TB disease, you will need to take several different TB medicines. This is because there are many TB germs to be killed. Taking several TB medicines will do a better job of killing all the TB germs and prevent them from becoming resistant to the medicines.
        Depending on the TB treatment regimen your health care provider prescribes, treatment for TB disease may take four months, six months, or longer.
        It is very important that you finish the medicine, taking the drugs exactly as prescribed:
          * If you stop taking the drugs too soon, you can become sick again;
          * if you do not take the drugs correctly, the TB germs that are still alive may become resistant to those drugs. TB that is resistant to drugs is harder to treat.
        Resources
                What You Need to Know About Tuberculosis Fact Sheet
                Use this fact sheet to learn basic information about tuberculosis (TB).
              Feb. 4, 2024
                  Download
                Download
                Questions and Answers About Tuberculosis Booklet
                Questions and Answers About TB has information on inactive TB and TB disease.
              Feb. 1, 2024
                  Download
                Download
                Think. Test. Treat TB
                Think. Test. Treat TB aims to increase awareness and understanding about inactive tuberculosis.
              Aug. 28, 2024
        On This Page
            * Why it's important to diagnose TB
            * When to get tested
            * How diagnosis works
            * What your diagnosis means
            * After a diagnosis
            * Resources
          Related Pages
              View All
        Back to Top
            * Testing for Tuberculosis
            * Testing for Tuberculosis: Blood Test
            * Testing for Tuberculosis: Skin Test
            * Vaccine
            * Exposure
          View All Tuberculosis (TB)
    Exposure
  April 22, 2024
  January 16, 2025
      Sources Print Share
        Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Syndicate
          Content Source:
        Division of Tuberculosis Elimination ; National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
      Related Pages
          View All
 
        * Testing for Tuberculosis
        * Testing for Tuberculosis: Blood Test
        * Testing for Tuberculosis: Skin Test
        * Vaccine
        * Exposure
      View All Tuberculosis (TB)
  Back to Top
    Tuberculosis (TB)
    Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs but can attack any part of the body.
    View All
        For Everyone
          * About
          * Signs and Symptoms
          * Causes and Spread
          * Vaccine
          * Testing for Tuberculosis
          * Exposure
          * Risk Factors
          * Prevention
          * View all
          Health Care Providers
            * Clinical Overview
            * Guidelines
            * Clinical Signs and Symptoms
            * View All
          Public Health
            * Tuberculosis Case Reporting
            * Guidance for Public Health Professionals
            * Laboratory Information
            * View All
        Sign up for Email Updates
    Contact Us
        Contact Us
          * Call 800-232-4636
          * Contact CDC
    About CDC
        About CDC
          * Pressroom
          * Organization
          * Budget & Funding
          * Careers & Jobs
    Policies
              * Accessibility
              * External Links
              * Privacy
              * Web Policies
              * FOIA
              * OIG
              * No Fear Act
              * Nondiscrimination
              * Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
    Languages
            Languages
              * Español
            Language Assistance
                  * Español
                  * 繁體中文
                  * Tiếng Việt
                  * 한국어
                  * Tagalog
                  * Русский
                  * العربية
                  * Kreyòl Ayisyen
                  * Français
                  * Polski
                  * Português
                  * Italiano
                  * Deutsch
                  * 日本語
                  * فارسی
                  * English
    Archive
          * CDC Archive
          * Public Health Publications
    Contact Us
      Contact Us
        * Call 800-232-4636
        * Contact CDC
    About CDC
        * Pressroom
        * Organization
        * Budget & Funding
        * Careers & Jobs
        * About CDC
    Policies
        * Accessibility
        * External Links
        * Privacy
        * Web Policies
        * FOIA
        * OIG
        * No Fear Act
        * Nondiscrimination
        * Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
    Languages
      Languages
        * Español
      Language Assistance
        * Español
        * 繁體中文
        * Tiếng Việt
        * 한국어
        * Tagalog
        * Русский
        * العربية
        * Kreyòl Ayisyen
        * Français
        * Polski
        * Português
        * Italiano
        * Deutsch
        * 日本語
        * فارسی
        * English
    Archive
        * CDC Archive
        * Public Health Publications
    HHS.gov USA.gov