What is latent TB? Is latent TB contagious?

Latent TB are inactivated carriers of TB bacteria, show no disease, have no symptoms, and do not transmit the bacteria to others. People with latent TB infection are at very high risk of contracting TB if their immune systems are weakened.

1. What is latent TB?

Latent tuberkuloseinfeksjon (LTBI) are healthy people who carry TB bacteria in an inactivated state. People with latent TB have no symptoms of the disease and do not feel tired. However, if the immune system is weakened, the TB bacteria will multiply and lead to active TB disease.
People with latent TB are people who have been in contact with people with TB disease. TB bacteria are spread into the air when people with TB talk, sneeze and cough,... Healthy people will breathe in bacteria-laden microflora when they come into contact with sick people. However, a healthy immune system will render the bacteria inactive and unable to cause disease.

Suy giảm hệ miễn dịch — Hệ miễn dịch suy yếu dễ dẫn tới bệnh lao hoạt tính

A person is confirmed to have latent TB when:
Does not have TB Not contagious to others Blood test or Mantoux test is positive Sputum test, secretions are negative People at risk for latent TB are people who have had close contact with someone who has tuberculosis. Or people who come from regions with a high number of TB cases, such as Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa, will be at higher risk.
Also, for people who have been vaccinated against TB there is still a chance of latent TB infection. Because the BCG TB vaccine is a vaccine that protects young children from exposure to TB, or serious forms of TB, and is effective for about 1 year. In adults, the BCG vaccine does not prevent TB infection.

2. Is latent TB contagious?

Lao phổi — Vi khuẩn lao trong cơ thể đã bị bất hoạt ,không sinh đôi vì vậy lao tiềm ẩn không lây nhiễm sang người khác

A person with latent TB cannot infect others. Because bacteria in the body have been inactivated, they cannot multiply. Small amounts of bacteria cannot be spread into the air. This is also one of the conditions to identify people with latent TB.
However, people with latent TB are at risk of contracting TB if their immune systems are compromised. Therefore, if a person with latent TB becomes active TB. At this point, that person will have the ability to infect others. Therefore, people with latent TB should receive preventive treatment to prevent the risk of TB disease.
In summary, latent TB are carriers of the TB bacteria that are inactive, show no disease, have no symptoms, and do not transmit TB bacteria to others. However, people with latent TB are at risk of developing TB when their immune systems are weakened. Therefore, these people need to go to a medical facility for advice and effective preventive treatment.
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