My bf got a TUBERCULOSIS test for a physical and it came out positive... Could this be mistakened? Is there a cure or shot i could get 2 prevent it? He has absolutely no symptoms...
Respiratory Diseases - 2 Answers
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runny nose
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There are a few possibilities. One is that it's a false positive. There are other types of the form of bacteria that cause tuberculosis. If present in the body, it can show a positive result on a ppd test even though it's not the type that causes the disease. There is also a vaccine that can cause a false positive, but if you were born in the US, that's not really a possibility, as it isn't used here. The most likely possibility is that he has a TB infection, but it didn't progress into TB disease yet. When a person has a TB infection, the immune system attacks it as it would any other infection or sickness. They won't show the symptoms of tuberculosis. If the body is able to fight it off successfully, it doesn't "die" or go away, but it becomes inactive and isn't contagious to others. It can't multiply or progress into TB disease (which IS contagious and does show symptoms ). Most people that have a tuberculosis infection won't develop the disease, unless they have a compromised immune system or lung disease. It still needs treatment with antibiotics to actually kill the bacteria because a dormant infection can become active again if left untreated. Both a TB infection and TB disease can be cured, but obviously it's easier to treat before it fully develops. treating it before it's a full on disease is important because tuberculosis can cause a lot of damage to the lungs and other organs. The next step for him is probably tests where they take samples of his phlegm to see if the infection is present. He might also need a chest X-ray
