(606) 298-7752
136 Rockcastle Road, Inez, KY 41224
TB Test
Tuberculosis (TB) Prevention and Control Program
The state TB prevention program aims to eradicate TB as a public health concern by organizing and directing disease-control efforts towards three primary objectives:
- Making all individuals with active TB disease non-infectious.
- Ensuring individuals with latent TB infection remain non-infectious.
- Preventing individuals without TB infection from acquiring the disease.
TB control activities are carried out by state employees, local health department staff, and private healthcare providers. Funding is provided to designated local health departments to serve as local lead agencies for the TB control program. State-level public health personnel offer support in program planning, implementation, and evaluation, along with setting program performance standards. Additionally, they provide technical assistance, consultation, training, and disease surveillance, encompassing X-ray, nursing, medical, clerical statistical, financial, and managerial support.
What is TB?
Tuberculosis, commonly known as TB, is a contagious airborne illness caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While it mainly impacts the lungs, it can also affect other parts of the body. Individuals with TB may not experience symptoms or feel unwell, and they are not contagious unless their infection progresses to active TB disease. TB bacteria can spread through the air when infected individuals cough, sneeze, or speak.
Symptoms of TB
- A bad cough lasting more than two weeks
- Coughing up blood
- Chest pains
- Fatigue or weakness
- Fever
- Poor appetite and weight loss
- Night sweats
- Chills
Who should get a TB test?
You should be tested for TB infection if:
- You have spent time with someone with infectious TB.
- You live in an environment where TB disease is common, including some nursing homes and most homeless shelters, prisons, jails and migrant farm camps.
- You think you might have TB disease.
- You are from a country where TB disease is common, such as countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia.
- You have HIV infection or another condition that places you at high risk for TB disease.
- You inject drugs and/or share needles.
Those at high risk for TB disease include:
- People living with HIV or other diseases that weaken the immune system.
- People who became infected with TB within the last two years.
- People who share needles and/or inject drugs.
- People who have had close contact with someone who has infectious TB
How the test is done
The skin test for TB is simple. A small amount of testing fluid is injected just under the skin on the lower arm. Two or three days after the test, a health care worker will measure the skin reaction to the test to determine whether the test is positive or negative for TB infection. A positive result usually means you have TB infection. If you test positive, other tests will be performed to determine whether or not you have developed TB disease. These tests can include chest X-ray and laboratory tests.