Tuberculosis can infect

How TB Spreads. Minus Related Pages. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address. What's this? Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.

People with latent TB are not infectious to others. If the immune system fails to kill or contain the infection, it can spread within the lungs or other parts of the body and symptoms will develop within a few weeks or months.

This is known as active TB. Latent TB could develop into an active TB disease at a later date, particularly if your immune system becomes weakened. With treatment, TB can almost always be cured. A course of antibiotics will usually need to be taken for 6 months. Several different antibiotics are used because some forms of TB are resistant to certain antibiotics. Know what to expect if your child does not take the medicine or have the test or procedure.

If your child has a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit. This is important if your child becomes ill and you have questions or need advice.

Search Encyclopedia. Tuberculosis TB in Children What is tuberculosis in children? TB may be staged like this: Exposed. What causes TB in a child?

Which children are at risk for TB? What are the symptoms of TB in a child? The most common symptoms of active TB in younger children include: Fever Weight loss Poor growth Cough Swollen glands some may begin to drain fluid through the skin Chills The most common symptoms of active TB in older children include: Cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks Pain in the chest Blood in sputum Weakness Tiredness Swollen glands some may begin to drain fluid through the skin Weight loss Decrease in appetite Fever Sweating at night Chills The symptoms of TB can be like other health conditions.

How is TB diagnosed in a child? How is TB treated in a child? Treatment may include a short-term hospital stay to be treated with medicine. How can I help prevent TB in my child? Active TB can be prevented by having latent TB diagnosed and treated. A child can be infected with TB bacteria and not have active disease. Before your visit, write down questions you want answered. Tuberculosis TB is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs.

The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from person to person through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes. Once rare in developed countries, tuberculosis infections began increasing in , partly because of the emergence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens a person's immune system, so it can't fight the TB germs.

In the United States, because of stronger control programs, tuberculosis began to decrease again in But it remains a concern. Many tuberculosis strains resist the drugs most used to treat the disease. People with active tuberculosis must take many types of medications for months to get rid of the infection and prevent antibiotic resistance.

Although your body can harbor the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, your immune system usually can prevent you from becoming sick. For this reason, doctors make a distinction between:. Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of your body, including the kidneys, spine or brain. When TB occurs outside your lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved.

For example, tuberculosis of the spine might cause back pain, and tuberculosis in your kidneys might cause blood in your urine. See your doctor if you have a fever, unexplained weight loss, drenching night sweats or a persistent cough. These are often indications of TB but can also result from other conditions. Also, see your doctor if you think you've been exposed to TB.