Preventive treatment for tuberculosis infection
TB preventive treatment can stop infection from turning into active disease
Overview
What is TB infection?
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria and spreads through air and can infect anyone. Sometimes, a person gets infected with bacteria but they do not fall ill with TB immediately. In this case, the TB bacteria remain inactive in the body and the person is said to have TB infection. People with TB infection do not show any signs or symptoms of TB.
Am I at risk?
You can be infected with TB bacteria even if you are not ill. In fact, as many as 1 in 4 people in the world are estimated to have TB infection, most of whom are well. Some people who are infected will go on to develop TB disease.
Do I need TB preventive treatment?
If you are at risk then your healthcare provider will first rule out active TB disease before assessing if you need TB preventive treatment.
What are the treatment options?
Today, there are many preventive treatment options available. New, shorter treatment options mean that people can be protected from TB for many years with treatment lasting only 1 or 3 months versus more than 6 months in the past.