TB Testing

TB, or Tuberculosis, is a disease spread through the air from one person to another. The germs are passed when someone sick with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, speaks, laughs, sings or sneezes.

TB germs can live in your body without making you sick, which is called a latent TB infection. When TB germs are active, meaning they are multiplying, the germs usually attack the lungs and can also attack other parts of the body such as the kidneys, brain or spine.

Although anyone can be exposed to this disease, certain individuals are at higher risk for exposure, including health care professionals, the homeless and people who were born in countries with high TB rates. Elderly people and individuals with HIV or AIDS are also more likely to get TB because their bodies are less able to fight off infections.

There are two tests available to help detect a latent TB infection or TB disease. The Health Department performs only one of these tests – a skin test using a small needle to put the testing material, or tuberculin, under the skin (see photo below).
The fee is $14, however, no one will be turned away due to an inability to pay. TB skin tests are administered at the Health Department every day of the week except Thursdays.

In two to three days, the client returns to the Health Department to get their test results. To determine whether someone has TB disease, a chest X-ray is sometimes recommended.

What are the symptoms of TB disease in the lungs?

Coughing a lot
Coughing up mucus or phlegm
Coughing up blood
Chest pain when you cough

If you have TB disease, you may also:

Feel weak
Lose your appetite
Lose weight
Have a fever
Sweat a lot at night

Without treatment, these symptoms, which can last for several weeks, usually get worse. For more information about tuberculosis, please contact the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department at (785) 843-0721 or e-mail nurseinfo@ldchealth.org

In certain instances, patients with active tuberculosis and their contacts must remain at home. Public health nurses will visit them in their homes to bring medication to the patient(s) (see photo at left) and ensure they are free from side effects of the antibiotics.