TB
Intro to TB Germ
Pictures & Pages/Related Info
Screening for Latent & Active TB (Red Book pg. 17 )
Contact to Latent to Active TB (Red Book pg. 7)
Active TB
Latent TB
TB Tests
What is it?
TB is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Bacteria are living things so small we cannot see them. There are millions of different kinds of bacteria. How does it enter the body?
How does it enter the body?
The TB bacteria is spread through the air. It gets into the air when someone who has Active TB coughs. When we breathe the TB bacteria in, it gets into our lungs. Anyone can get TB - it’s nobody’s fault.
Spread Through | NOT Spread Through |
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VERY RARE but in someone who is pregnant and has Active TB, the TB bacteria can spread to the baby.
How does TB make someone sick?
For many people, the body can stop the TB bacteria from making them sick. In the picture (right), the body (light blue) is not letting the bacteria (orange) get out. When the bacteria are in the body but not making the person sick, and not being spread, we call this ‘TB Infection’ ‘Latent TB’ or ‘Sleeping TB’.
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The problem with Sleeping TB is that the TB bacteria can ‘wake up’ and start making the person sick. The picture (left) shows the bacteria (orange) spreading to other parts of the body. Once it ‘wakes up’ it can also be spread to other people. When the TB bacteria in the body are making a person sick or can be spread to others, it is called ‘Active TB’. Active TB in the lungs is the most common but it can be found in many other parts of the body. For young children, especially those under 5 years old, their bodies are not as good at fighting the TB bacteria in the lungs. This means children can become sick in weeks or months after breathing in TB.
Active TB | Sleeping TB | |
|---|---|---|
Symptoms | ✓ or X | X |
Contagious | ✓ | X |
Treatment | MANDATORY | Highly Recommended |
Isolation | Can be MANDATORY | X |
Curable
Sleeping and Active TB are both curable. Treatment is very good at getting rid of TB in the body. TB can develop into serious disease if not treated.
Treated in Nunavik
In almost all people, TB is treated completely in Nunavik.
Test for TB
The TB Team will decide which test or tests a person will do based on their individual situation (ex: someone who has had TB in the past should not do a skin test).
The tests for TB are: | ||
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Skin Test | X-Ray | Spit Test |
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Extrapulmonary TB (TB outside of the lungs)
TB in the lung (Pulmonary TB) is the most common but TB can infect other parts of the body like:
Brain (Meningitis)
Neck/Lymph Nodes
Linings outside the lung (Pleural)
Bones (like the spine)
In the belly (Abdominal)
Example conversation with someone who has some questions about TB:
Reassure
TB can be confusing! I’m happy you asked!
Spread
TB is a germ that can be found in different parts of the body, but we mostly think about it in the lungs. This is because TB is spread in the air and people can breathe it into their lungs.
There are two different kinds of lung TB, Latent (Sleeping) TB and Active TB
Sleeping & Activities
In Sleeping TB, the TB germ is in your body, but your body’s immune system is controlling the germ and has “put it to sleep” so it won’t make you sick.
Sleeping TB can wake up though and become Active TB which causes sickness. If left untreated, Active TB can become a serious and even life-threatening disease.
Treatment & Tests
The good news is both Active and Latent TB can be treated with antibiotics and most times, it’s treated completely in Nunavik.
TB can be tricky to diagnose. That is why there are different tests, like the skin test and X-ray, we do to make sure you do or do not have TB.