How easy is it to get TB?

Question

I'm working overseas and there has been a out break of TB the company is telling us how hard it is to get.From what I remember it's not that hard to get TB. Anybody out there know

Answer 1

There is a long answer to this, but I'll throw you the short: TB is spread by aerosol. Most respiratory infections are spread by "droplet nuclei" - the flu, your common cold, etc. The difference: droplet nuclei have a range of about 3 feet, then they fall to the ground. Aerosolized mycobacteria, once airborne, float around in the air for hours. Additionally, the flu and your common cold are fragile viruses - they are readily destroyed outside the host. TB, on the other hand, is an extremely hardy mycobacterium and it can survive for long periods of time outside the host.

What this boils down to: if someone has active TB and it has found access to the airway, it is very, very readily spread because of its aerosolization and hardiness. Latent TB and active TB that does not have airway access is not infectious.

Additional info that may be helpful: because the aerosolized particles are very small, your regular surgical mask will not protect you from infection. An N95 filtering mask is required (in case they throw you some regular surgical masks and tell you you're safe).

Kral: lets stop giving advice when you don't know what you're talking about. TB can be treated, but it is nowhere near "easy." At the very minimum it requires 6 months of a multiple drug regimen - and that is if you don't have a bad reaction to any of them. The more common regimen is 9 months. In individuals with liver damage, you're looking at taking drug combinations for up to two years to eradicate the infection. None of that qualifies as "easy."

Answer 2

I had TB years ago so first of all check with your Doctor or the Center of Disease Control in Atlanta , Georgia.
TB is passed on by direct saliva contact. This could mean anything from kissing to putting your mouth on a bottle or facet that an infected person has just put their mouth on. It is not caused by smoking. Not that smoking is any good , but it will not create a germ which TB is.
Once contacting the germ if your body resistance is high and healthy your body can keep it inactive by walling THE GERM UP IN TUBERCLES--HENCE COMES THE NAME TUBERCULOSIS. Should your body become completely run

down before , during ,or years after contact, it could break out. For example, with an alcoholic who mainly drinks and hardly ever eats and has no resistance,once contacting the germ , in would spread through him like wildfire.
Doctors who work constantly with TB patients take INH as a preventative. I am not going to name it as their are probably more current things on the market.
The point of this is there are many things to consider that should not be answered on an opinion chat line. This is a serious question that should be talked over with your Doctor. Remember it is your life we are really talking about.

Answer 3

yeah its not *that* hard to get, but easy to cure as well.