Fact Sheets
The Difference Between Latent TB Infection and TB Disease
What is TB?
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by a germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is spread from person to person through the air. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidneys, or the spine. When a person with infectious TB coughs or sneezes, droplet nuclei containing M. tuberculosis are expelled into the air. If another person inhales air containing these droplet nuclei, he or she may become infected. However, not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection and TB disease.
What is Latent TB Infection?
Persons with latent TB infection do not feel sick and do not have any symptoms. They are infected with M. tuberculosis, but do not have TB disease. The only sign of TB infection is a positive reaction to the tuberculin skin test or TB blood test. Persons with latent TB infection are not infectious and cannot spread TB infection to others.
Overall, without treatment, about 5 to 10% of infected persons will develop TB disease at some time in their lives. About half of those people who develop TB will do so within the first two years of infection. For persons whose immune systems are weak, especially those with HIV infection, the risk of developing TB disease is considerably higher than for persons with normal immune systems.
Of special concern are persons infected by someone with extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) who later develop TB disease; these persons will have XDR TB, not regular TB disease.
A person with latent TB infection |
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What is TB Disease?
In some people, TB bacteria overcome the defenses of the immune system and begin to multiply, resulting in the progression from latent TB infection to TB disease. Some people develop TB disease soon after infection, while others develop TB disease later when their immune system becomes weak.
The general symptoms of TB disease include
- Unexplained weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Night sweats
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Chills
The symptoms of TB of the lungs include
- Coughing for 3 weeks or longer
- Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
- Chest pain
Other symptoms depend on the part of the body that is
affected.
Persons with TB disease are considered infectious and may spread TB bacteria to others. If TB disease is suspected, persons should be referred for a complete medical evaluation. If it is determined that a person has TB disease, therapy is given to treat it. TB disease is a serious condition and can lead to death if not treated.
A person with TB disease |
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Additional Information
- American Thoracic Society (ATS) and CDC. Diagnostic standards and classification of tuberculosis in adults and children. (PDF)Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2000; 161.
- CDC. Questions and Answers About TB
- CDC. Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB).
- CDC. Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB).
- Page last reviewed: October 20, 2014
- Page last updated: November 21, 2014
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