What is the Difference?
Tuberculosis
Infection or Latent TB (LTBI) means that the person has
been exposed to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. They are not sick because
the bacteria are inactive
and they cannot spread the bacteria to others. A person with
tuberculosis infection usually has a positive skin test, a normal chest x-ray and
does not feel sick. An average of one in ten infected persons develop tuberculosis
disease at sometime in their lifetime unless given preventive therapy. However,
persons who are infected with the tuberculosis bacteria and have HIV infection may
not show a reaction to the tuberculosis skin test, and are at considerably greater
risk of developing tuberculosis disease. Persons with tuberculosis infection may
be given Isoniazid (INH) for six months to prevent tuberculosis disease from developing.
Tuberculosis
disease means that the person is sick
from bacteria that are actively reproducing in their body. Persons with pulmonary
tuberculosis usually have a positive skin test, an abnormal chest x-ray and one
or more of the symptoms of tuberculosis such as persistent cough, chest pain, feeling
weak, weight loss, fever and/or night sweats. These people are often capable of
giving the infection to others. Persons with tuberculosis disease should be treated
with four anti-tuberculosis medications to treat the disease.