Myths of Tuberculosis...Explained

   There are many myths about Tuberculosis that people need to learn about. Most of which relate to how people are infected with TB, and subjects such as testing or symptoms. Below are examples of myths of Tuberculosis, as well as an explanation for why they are not true. This should clear up questions that many of us have about the infection.

Myth #1: Tuberculosis infection and Tuberculosis disease are the same thing.
   
    Tuberculosis infection and Tuberculosis disease are not the same thing. Tuberculosis infection is when the germ is inactive and therefore, the person is not contagious and will not show signs or symptoms. On the other hand, Tuberculosis disease is where the germ is active within the body which makes the person contagious, showing signs or symptoms.

Myth  #2: Tuberculosis is hereditary.

     You may have heard from someone that TB is hereditary, but this is not true. This disease is transmitted through the air from person to person, so it is in no way related to genetics. A simple cough or sneeze can spread the disease to another person.

Myth #3: Tuberculosis infection will always develop into Tuberculosis disease.

    A TB infection does not always turn into TB disease. A person is most likely to develop TB disease  with a weakened immune system. This category most often falls on the elderly, young children, persons with HIV, or cancer.

Myth #4: Tuberculosis only occurs in lower socioeconomic groups.

    This statement is false in that any person can contract TB. There is however, reasoning that some people may be at a higher risk to develop TB, which is why it is important to know ways to reduce your risks.

Myth #5: Tuberculosis causes lung cancer.

    Although TB can increase the risk of lung cancer, it is not the prominent cause of lung cancer. Lung cancer is primarily caused by smoking and pollution, among other factors.

Myth #6: A positive skin test means that I have Tuberculosis.

    A positive skin test does not necessarily mean that you have TB, but it does verify that you have been exposed to the TB infection. In this way, you do not have the disease, but it is important to start medication for TB infection.
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      If you are interested on learning more about Tuberculosis, watch this video on Tuberculosis Treatment Myths. This video provides information on the differences of Tuberculosis disease and Tuberculosis infection, as well as many other interesting facts.

You Tube Video on TB Myths

References

Tuberculosis Myths. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://knowyo.org/the-myths/tuberculosis-myths/

Tuberculosis Treatment Myths [You Tube]. (2014). Hello Doctor.

Thanks for logging in to BustingMyths.com! (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://bustingmyths.com/ 

Exactly what is the Vaccine for TB?

       The vaccine for tuberculosis is known as BCG, which stands for Bacille Calmette-Guérin. However, this vaccine is not used often in the United States. If it is used, it is only given to young children and infants. Most of the time, this BCG vaccine does not protect people from getting TB. Therefore, it is only given to people who are consulted by his/her doctor and meet criteria for the vaccination.
       Children should only be given the BCG vaccine if their skin test results are negative and if they are exposed to tuberculosis on a regular basis. Children should take the TB skin test, rather than the TB blood test.
       If health care workers would like to take the vaccine, they should be considered on an individual basis. The person may be resistant to isoniazid and rifampin or there may be a transmission of drug-resistant TB strains. Both of these situations could be a reason for health care workers to look into taking the BCG vaccine.
       If you or someone you know has received the BCG vaccination, they should receive another TB skin test to test for tuberculosis. A TB test result may come back positive if you have spent time somewhere where the TB disease is prominent, or you have been around someone who has the disease. A TB blood test is not affected by the BCG vaccination and will not give a false-positive result in people who have taken the vaccination.
       Please keep in mind that both the TB skin test and the TB blood test does not tell you if the TB infection is latent or is TB disease. These tests will only show if the person is infected with the TB bacteria. Image 1, as seen below, provides a picture of a BCG Vaccine Package.

                                                        Image 1: BCG Vaccine Package

If you would like additional information on the BCG vaccination, please look at the link provided below.

BCG Information

References

Vaccine and Immunizations. (2012, August 14). Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/vaccines/default.htm

Family Practice Notebook. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.fpnotebook.com/legacy/ID/Immunize/BcgVcn.htm 

Protecting Yourself from Tuberculosis

TB Prevention

    Since TB is spread from an infected person to another through the air when speaking, coughing, or sneezing, it is important to protect yourself especially when traveling abroad, like in Figure A. If you expect to come in to regular contact with clinic, homeless shelter, prison, and hospital populations, then it is important to have a tuberculin skin test (TST) before you leave the country.
    If you will be working in health care settings, for example, clinics and hospitals, where TB patients may be found, you should ask about preventing exposure to TB. This can be done by asking about the administrative and environmental procedures for prevention. After doing so, you can also use a personal respiratory mask to protect yourself even further.
    If you think you have been exposed to tuberculosis, contact a local health department to see if you should be tested.

                                    Figure A displays a plane, in which one would use to leave the country. 

Infection Control in Health Care Settings 

   It is very important for everyone to protect themselves against Tuberculosis. Infection is more prominent among patients in health care setting and health care workers. It is vital to have a control plan for TB infection. The plan should ensure airborne precautions, treatment of people who have TB disease, and prompt detection of infectious patients.
   The program should also be based on a hierarchy of control measures. This hierarchy should include: administrative measures, environmental control, and the use of respiratory equipment. The first level is to reduce the risk of uninfected people contracting TB from those who are infected. The second is to reduce the amount of tuberculosis infection in the air. The last level is to use respiratory protection to reduce the risk of infection for health care workers, such as Figure B.

Figure B is a mask, used for respiratory protection.

References 

"Infection Control and Prevention." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.

Treatment of TB

       Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is separated into two conditions since the bacteria does not make every infected person sick. Latent TB infection and TB disease are the two conditions that can be treated. However, if TB disease is not treated properly, it can be fatal.
     

Treatment for Latent TB Infection 

     The treatment for latent TB infection is prescribed so the infection does not develop into TB disease. Latent TB is where the bacteria in the body are not active; therefore, the person is not sick and does not show symptoms. Since there are fewer bacteria in the infected person, the treatment is easier than that of TB disease. However, people with weak immune systems are at a higher risk for developing TB disease. It is very important to complete the entire treatment for latent TB infection to insure that the person does not develop TB disease if the bacteria become active and multiply. Medications that are often used to treat latent TB infection include:

• rifampin (RIF)
• rifapentine (RPT)
• isoniazid (INH)

Treatment for TB Disease 

     TB disease is also known by the active bacteria in the body, which will make a person sick, and possibly make others sick. TB disease is treated by taking drugs approved by your doctor, for about 6 to 9 months. It is very important to take the drugs exactly as prescribed by your doctor for easier treatment. If you stop taking the drugs to soon, or they are not taken correctly, the TB bacteria that are alive can become resistant to the drugs. Resistant TB is much more difficult to treat. Some of the drugs used to treat TB disease include: 

• rifampin (RIF) 
• isoniazid (INH)
• ethambutol (EMB)
• pyrazinamide (PZA) 

The Completion of Treatment 

       Treatment completion is noted by the number of doses taken over a period of time indicated by your doctor. People with HIV infection, pregnancy, or drug resistance, are certain circumstances where modifications to the treatment plan may take place. 

References: 

Tuberculosis: Treatment. (2012, August 1.). Retrieved October 8, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/treatment/default.htm

Tuberculosis: What is it exactly?

 Tuberculosis, otherwise known as TB, is caused by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacteria typically infects the lungs, but it can also attack the kidney, brain, and spine. For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/tb.

    How does TB spread? 

  Tuberculosis is spread through the air as one person with the bacteria breathes out, coughs, sneezes, or talks, infecting nearby people who breathe in the bacteria, (see Figure A). TB cannot spread by touching someone's skin, sharing drinks or food, or kissing.

                             Figure A: This figure demonstrates coughing and the spread of bacteria from one person to another. 

    What are the symptoms of TB? 
   
  Symptoms of TB can include weight loss, chills, fever, pain in the chest, a cough that last 3 weeks or longer, and weakness of the body, (Figure B).

                                          Figure B: This picture shows all symptoms of TB. 

    Are there different types of TB? 
  
  Yes, there are two TB-related conditions known as latent TB infection and TB disease. Latent TB infection is where the TB bacteria can live in the body but will not make you sick. TB disease, on the other hand, occurs when TB bacteria are active in the immune system, or when the body cannot stop them from growing. Those who have HIV infection are at a much higher risk for developing TB disease.

   What should I do if I want to get tested for TB? 

  If you want to be tested for tuberculosis, contact your local health provider or health department. From there they will determine if you should be tested for TB infection. Make sure you tell the doctor or nurse the time at which you think you may have been exposed to someone with tuberculosis. The tests performed include a TB skin test (Figure C) and TB blood tests.

                                         Figure C: This Doctor is performing a TB skin test on the patient. 
   How is TB treated?  

 If you are diagnosed with latent TB infection, your doctor may treat you to make sure you do not develop TB disease. This treatment reduces the risk that TB infection turns into TB disease. TB disease is treated for around 6-9 months, taking several drugs (Figure D). It is important to take the drugs, and to take them as the doctor prescribed. Stopping the treatment may cause the disease to become resistant, which then is harder to treat.

                                 Figure D: It is important to take all prescribed medications for tuberculosis. 


References: 
Tuberculosis (TB). (2012, March 13). Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/basics/default.htm

Tuberculosis: Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://udel.edu/~jsavina/tuberculosistreatment.html