Tuberculosis how can you get it

Learn about latent TB infection and TB disease. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Tuberculosis TB. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. How TB Spreads. Minus Related Pages. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address.

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Our service is free and we are here to help you. Tuberculosis Symptoms and Diagnosis. Section Menu. What Are the Symptoms of TB? Symptoms of active TB include: A cough that lasts more than three weeks Loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss Fever Chills Night sweats You may experience other symptoms related to the function of a specific organ or system that is affected.

How Is TB Diagnosed? If your doctor suspects TB, they may order a skin or blood test. When to See Your Doctor A person who suspects that they may have TB should get tested by their doctor or the health department as soon as possible. Previous: Learn About Tuberculosis. Next: Treating and Managing Tuberculosis. Back to Tuberculosis TB. Tuberculosis TB is caused by a type of bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

It's spread when a person with active TB disease in their lungs coughs or sneezes and someone else inhales the expelled droplets, which contain TB bacteria. Although TB is spread in a similar way to a cold or flu , it is not as contagious.

You would have to spend prolonged periods several hours in close contact with an infected person to catch the infection yourself.