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About Tuberculosis (TB)

What is tuberculosis (TB)?

Tuberculosis (often called TB) is a disease caused by a germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It most often affects the lungs, but it can also affect other body parts like the brain, kidneys, spine, or lymph nodes.

What are the two forms of TB?
Latent TB Infection (Inactive TB Infection) Active TB Infection (Active TB Disease)
People with inactive TB infection: People with active TB disease:
  • Have the TB bacteria in their body, but do feel sick or have any symptoms
  • May feel sick and have symptoms
  • Cannot spread it to others
  • Can spread TB to others if it is in the lungs or throat
  • Will test positive for TB on a TB skin or blood test
  • Usually test positive on TB skin or blood test and often an abnormal chest X-ray
  • May need medicine to prevent it from becoming active TB disease
  • Need several medicines for at least 6 months to get better
How do you get it?

TB spreads through the air when someone with active TB in the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, talks, laughs, or sings.

People nearby can breathe in these germs and become infected.

  • You cannot not catch TB by shaking hands, sharing dishes, or touching surfaces.
  • Brief contact (like walking past someone) is unlikely to give you TB.
What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms include:

  • Feeling weak or very tired
  • Losing weight without trying
  • Fever or chills
  • Sweating at night
  • Coughing for 3 weeks or more
  • Chest pain
  • Coughing up blood or thick phlegm (sputum)
How long can an infected person spread it?

Only people with active TB disease can spread TB to others.

Once a person with active TB starts the right medicine, they usually cannot spread TB after about 2 weeks of treatment.

Who is at risk?

Anyone can get TB, but some people are more at risk. Those in the high-risk category include:

  • People who are in regular, close contact with someone who has active TB disease, such as family members, co-workers, or friends.
  • People from countries where TB is common.
  • People who live or work in large group settings where someone has active TB disease.
  • People with weakened immune systems due to certain medicines or health conditions such as HIV, cancer, diabetes, injection drug use, or low body weight. These individuals are more likely to develop active TB disease if infected.
  • People younger than 5 years old are more likely to develop active TB disease if infected.
How do I know if I have TB?

If you have TB symptoms or have been exposed to TB, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

  • Your healthcare provider can perform a TB skin or blood test and chest X-ray, if needed.
  • Testing is available at the Sedgwick County Health Department by appointment. (See TB Screening and Testing.) Call 316-660-7300 to schedule an appointment.
  • Positive TB tests are reported to the Sedgwick County TB Clinic where staff assess and provide treatment to clients to stop the spread of disease.
How is it treated?
  • Inactive TB is treated with several antibiotics for three to nine months.
  • Active TB is treated with several antibiotics for 4 to 9 months or more.
How do you prevent it?

In many countries, active TB is more common than in the United States.

In the U.S., TB prevention focuses on testing, early treatment, and contact investigations.

  • To prevent active TB, people with inactive TB should take all of their TB medication as prescribed.
  • When traveling in other countries, avoid close contact or lengthy periods with known TB infected patients in crowded, enclosed environments.

How common is TB in Sedgwick County?

Sedgwick County and the state of Kansas are considered low-risk areas for TB. On average, the county sees about 8–12 new active TB cases each year.

TB CASES REPORTED TB Cases per 100,000 People
  2024 2024 Data
Sedgwick County 13 2.4
Kansas 115 3.9
United States 10,347 3.0

Sources: Sedgwick County and Kansas data from KDHE. United States data from CDC