Latent tuberculosis

What is latent tuberculosis (TB)?

On routine infection screening, we have picked up that you may have latent (‘sleeping’) TB, which is an infection caused by bacteria called mycoplasma tuberculosis. This is not the same as having active TB disease.

How do you get infected with TB?

TB can be caught when an infected person coughs and sneezes and the bacteria is spread in tiny droplets that can get inside your body. It is usually spread from someone that you live with. It mostly affects the lungs, but can also affect other organs of the body.

What does latent TB mean?

Latent TB means that you have the infection, even if you haven’t got any symptoms of being ill. This happens when your immune system cannot fully fight the bacteria and it remains in your body, ‘sleeping’. Latent TB can sometimes become active disease, so should be treated even if you haven’t got any symptoms, to prevent it from making you ill later on.

Latent TB is not infectious to other people.

What symptoms does TB cause?

Latent TB does not cause any symptoms and is not infectious. However, if untreated, it may eventually become active and cause the following symptoms:

• not feeling hungry
• losing weight
• night sweats
• feeling extremely tired
• a cough for many weeks
• coughing up phlegm that can be bloody
• breathlessness.

If you have any of these symptoms, you should let your doctor know.

How is latent TB infection treated?

We will do a chest X-ray to make sure there is no sign that your TB is active.
Latent TB infection can be treated by taking antibiotic medications that kill the bacteria, usually for several months.

The treatment team will explain to you exactly how to take the tablets. It is very important that you take the medications as you are told. If you stop taking the antibiotics before you complete the course, or if you skip a dose, the TB infection may become resistant to the medication, meaning the medication won’t work to kill the bacteria.