Is pulmonary tuberculosis contagious?

The article was professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dang Xuan Cuong - Emergency Department - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. The doctor has 14 years of experience in the field of emergency resuscitation and poison control.

From the lungs, bacteria can pass through the blood, lymph to other organs in the body (lymph nodes, bones, liver, kidneys, ...) and cause disease in those organs of the body. The best way to prevent this disease is to get vaccinated from the first year of birth.

The source of the disease is mainly caused by infection from an infected person through respiratory activities such as sneezing, coughing, spitting... This is the easiest and most common way for tuberculosis to be transmitted from this person. to someone else.
When the body has a poor body, just inhaling or coming into contact with TB bacteria is at high risk of contracting the disease. The amount of TB bacteria released into the air by one sick person can be transmitted to 10 to 15 other people.
Doctors say a number of factors make TB disease easier to spread, such as malnutrition, chronic diseases, tobacco addiction, alcoholism, use of prescription drugs infected, infected with HIV... These people, when they come into contact with sick people or encounter infectious bacterial factors, will easily get tuberculosis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis bacteria will be transmitted through the following basic ways:
2.1 Pulmonary tuberculosis is transmitted through the respiratory tract. Through conversation, contact with sick people coughing, spitting, sneezing, blowing their nose... tuberculosis can be easily transmitted. Tuberculosis bacteria spread out into the environment, enter the body and very quickly grow, forming disease in other people.
2.2 Pulmonary tuberculosis is transmitted through rubbing. It is possible for normal people to get pulmonary TB through scratches, scrapes, and wounds when rubbing against an infected person. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid contact with the sick person when the patient has rubbing wounds.
2.3 Pulmonary TB disease transmitted through activities Living with people with pulmonary tuberculosis also has a high risk of contracting the disease. Sharing towels, sharing dishes, etc. is a way of spreading tuberculosis from sick people to normal people. When living with a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis, the patient needs to go to the doctor early to detect and treat early if infected.
2.4 Tuberculosis is transmitted from mother to child Pulmonary tuberculosis is transmitted from mother to child. However, not 100% of children are infected with tuberculosis from their mothers. When the mother is sick, it is necessary to monitor and follow the doctor's instructions to minimize the risk of TB infection from mother to child.
2.5 Sexually transmitted tuberculosis In sexual relations when two people perform deep kisses and exchange saliva, it is very easy to infect the other person with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Improve health, clean and well ventilate the living environment Patients must wear a mask, when coughing or sneezing must cover their mouth, spit sputum into the prescribed place, and sputum or other sources of infection must be destroyed properly. . Take advantage of the sun as much as possible for the patient's shelter and belongings. Create good ventilation conditions for air to circulate in order to minimize the concentration of TB bacteria in the air. Tuberculosis can completely spread through very simple ways, each person needs to know how to prevent, as well as properly treat.