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										**TB disease –**an illness in which TB bacteria are multiplying and attacking a part of the body, usually the lungs The symptoms of TB disease include weakness, weight loss, fever, no appetite, chills, and sweating at night. Other symptoms of TB disease depend on where in the body the bacteria are growing. If TB disease is in the lungs (pulmonary TB), the symptoms may include a bad cough, pain in the chest, or coughing up blood. A person with TB disease may be infectious and spread TB bacteria to others.
**BCG**– a vaccine for TB named after the French scientists who developed it, Calmette and Guérin. BCG is rarely used in the United States, but it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common.
**Chest x-ray** – a picture of the inside of your chest. A chest x-ray is made by exposing a film to x-rays that pass through the chest. A doctor can look at this film to see whether TB bacteria have damaged the lungs.
**Contact** – a person who has spent time with a person with infectious TB.
**Culture** – a test to see whether there are TB bacteria in your phlegm or other body fluids. This test can take 2 to 4 weeks in most laboratories.
**Directly observed therapy (DOT)** – a way of helping patients take their medicine for TB. If you get DOT, you will meet with a health care worker every day or several times a week. You will meet at a place you both agree on. This can be the TB clinic, your home or work, or any other convenient location. You will take your medicine while the health care worker watches.
**Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB)** – XDR TB is a rare type of TB disease that is resistant to nearly all medicines used to treat TB.
**Extrapulmonary TB** – TB disease in any part of the body other than the lungs (for example, the kidney, spine, brain, or lymph nodes).
**HIV infection** – infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). A person with both latent TB infection and HIV infection is at very high risk for developing TB disease.
**Isoniazid (INH) –**a medicine used to prevent TB disease in people who have latent TB infection. INH is also one of the four medicines often used to treat TB disease.
**Latent TB infection** – a condition in which TB bacteria are alive, but inactive in the body. People with latent TB infection have no symptoms, don’t feel sick, can’t spread TB to others, and usually have a positive TB skin test or positive TB blood test reaction. But they may develop TB disease if they do not receive treatment for latent TB infection.
**Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB)** – TB disease caused by bacteria resistant to two of the most important medicines: INH and RIF.
***Mycobacterium tuberculosis*** – bacteria that cause latent TB infection and TB disease.
**Negative** – usually refers to a test result. If you have a negative TB skin test reaction or negative TB blood test reaction, you probably do not have TB infection.
**Positive** – usually refers to a test result. If you have a positive TB skin test reaction or positive TB blood test reaction, you probably have TB infection.
**Pulmonary TB** – TB disease that occurs in the lungs, usually producing a cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer. Most TB disease is pulmonary.
**Resistant bacteria** – bacteria that can no longer be killed by a certain medicine.
**Rifampin (RIF)** – one of the four medicines often used to treat TB disease. It is considered a first-line drug.
**Rifapentine (RPT) –**one of two medicines used to treat latent TB infection.
**Smear** – a test to see whether there are TB bacteria in your phlegm. To do this test, lab workers smear the phlegm on a glass slide, stain the slide with a special stain, and look for any TB bacteria on the slide. This test usually takes 1 day to get the results.
**Sputum** – phlegm coughed up from deep inside the lungs. Sputum is examined for TB bacteria using a smear; part of the sputum can also be used to do a culture.
**TB blood test** – a test that uses a blood sample to find out if you are infected with TB bacteria. The test measures the response to TB proteins when they are mixed with a small amount of blood. Examples of these TB blood tests include QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-tube (QFT-GIT) and T-Spot®.*TB* test.
**TB disease** – an illness in which TB bacteria are multiplying and attacking a part of the body, usually the lungs. The symptoms of TB disease include weakness, weight loss, fever, no appetite, chills, and sweating at night. Other symptoms of TB disease depend on where in the body the bacteria are growing. If TB disease is in the lungs (pulmonary TB), the symptoms may include a bad cough, pain in the chest, and coughing up blood. A person with TB disease may be infectious and spread TB bacteria to others.
**TB skin test** – a test that is often used to find out if you are infected with TB bacteria. A liquid called tuberculin is injected under the skin on the lower part of your arm. If you have a positive reaction to this test, you probably have TB infection. Other tests will be needed to find out if you have latent TB infection or TB disease.
**Tuberculin** **or PPD** – a liquid that is injected under the skin on the lower part of your arm during a TB skin test. If you have latent TB infection, you will probably have a positive reaction to the tuberculin.Related Links**For Patients**
Questions and Answers About TB (Booklet)
State TB Control Offices
							
					
						Page last reviewed:  March 21, 2016					Content source: 	Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention homeTuberculosisBasic TB Factsplus iconHow TB SpreadsLatent TB Infection and TB DiseaseSigns & SymptomsTB Risk FactorsExposure to TBTB PreventionVaccinesTB & HIV CoinfectionTB and DiabetesTB TermsPersonal StoriesTesting & Diagnosisplus iconWho Should be TestedTesting for TB InfectionTesting in BCG-Vaccinated PersonsTB Screening and Testing of Health Care PersonnelTesting During PregnancyDiagnosing latent TB infection and TB diseaseTreatmentplus iconDeciding When to Treat Latent TB InfectionTreatment Regimens for Latent TB Infection (LTBI)Treatment for TB DiseaseAdverse EventsTB Treatment of Persons Living with HIVTB Treatment and PregnancyTB Treatment for ChildrenFrequently Asked QuestionsDrug-Resistant TBResearchplus iconTB Epidemiologic Studies Consortiumplus iconResearch ProjectsPublicationsTB Trials Consortiumplus iconStudy DescriptionsBackgroundBehavioral & Social Science ResearchHealth Care Settingsplus iconTB Infection Control in Health Care SettingsResources for TB Screening and Testing of Health Care Personnelplus iconFrequently Asked QuestionsTB in Specific Populationsplus iconHealth DisparitiesAsian PersonsBlack or African American PersonsHispanic or Latino PersonsChildrenPregnancyCorrectional FacilitiesPeople Experiencing HomelessnessInternational TravelersLaboratory Informationplus iconDrug Susceptibility TestingFalse-Positive Investigation ToolkitInterim Laboratory Biosafety Guidance for XDR  tuberculosis strainsModel Performance Evaluation Program (MPEP)Rapid Molecular Testing to Detect Drug-Resistant TB in the USplus iconExecutive SummaryIntroductionBackground on Tests for Molecular Detection of DRGeneral Considerations and Principles for a Molecular DR Testing ServicePossible Scenarios and Scope of Testing for a Molecular DR Testing ServiceResearch NeedsGeneral Recommendations of the Expert PanelCommunication Plan for the ReportRecommendationsReferencesPanel Members and CDC ParticipantsAppendix 1Appendix 2Appendix 3The Uses of Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for the Diagnosis of TBplus iconGeneral ConsiderationsGeneral Recommendations of the Expert PanelRecommendations to ACET, CDC, DTBEData & Statisticsplus iconTB Incidence in the United StatesReported TB in the US, 2022 Surveillance Reportplus iconNational DataReporting Area DataRisk FactorsDemographicsTB Treatment and Case OutcomesDrug-Resistant TBMolecular SurveillanceTuberculosis in the United States, 2022 (Slide Set)Archived Surveillance Reports and Slide Sets2021 State and City ReportArchived State and City ReportsProfessional Resources & Toolsplus iconTools for Healthcare ProvidersResources for TB Programsplus iconStrengthening Civil Surgeons’ Capacity to Improve LTBI Surveillance and Outcomes Among Status AdjustersNotice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)Program EvaluationTB Centers of ExcellenceTB Elimination AllianceTB Genotypingplus iconConventional TB GenotypingWhole Genome SequencingTB GIMSAnalytic ToolsLatent Tuberculosis Infection ResourcesPublications & Productsplus iconPatient and Public MaterialsFact SheetsGuidelinesplus iconControl & EliminationDrug-Resistant TBInfection Control & PreventionLaboratory & GenotypingTB & HIVTB in Specific PopulationsTesting & DiagnosisTreatmentVaccines & ImmunizationsArchived TB GuidelinesGuides & Toolkitsplus iconAggregate ReportsCDC TB Surveillance TrainingCore CurriculumEffective TB Interviewing for Contact InvestigationEthnographic GuidesFalse-Positive Investigation ToolkitForging Partnerships to Eliminate TuberculosisGuide to Application of GenotypingLTBI: A Guide for Primary Health Care ProvidersMantoux Tuberculin Skin Testing ProductsReport of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT)Self-Study ModulesTB Contact Investigation Interviewing Skills CourseTB eDOT ToolkitUnderstanding the TB Cohort Review ProcessNewslettersplus iconTB Notes, No. 4, 2023TB Notes, No. 3, 2023TB Notes. No. 2, 2023TB Notes. No. 1, 2023TB Notes, No. 4, 2022TB Notes, No. 3, 2022TB Notes, No. 2, 2022TB Notes, No. 1, 2022TB Notes, No. 4, 2021TB Notes, No. 3, 2021TB Notes, No. 2, 2021TB Notes, No. 1, 2021Pamphlets, Brochures, Bookletsplus iconQuestions and AnswersPatient Education SeriesTuberculosis - Get the FactsTuberculosis - The Connection between TB and HIV12-Dose Regimen for Latent TB Infection-Patient Education BrochurePostersplus iconMantoux Tuberculin Skin Test Wall ChartWorld TB DayThink TBStop TBTake on TBReports & Articlesplus iconDTBE Authored Journal ArticlesTuberculosis Laboratory Aggregate ReportsSlide Setsplus iconIntroduction to TuberculosisEpidemiology of Tuberculosis Among Non-U.S.​–Born Persons in the United States, 1993–2016Self-Study Modules on Tuberculosis, 1-5 Slide SetsThe Tuberculosis (TB) in Correctional Settingsplus iconFacilitator GuideIntroduction to TB GenotypingEpidemiology of Tuberculosis in Correctional Facilities, United States, 1993-2017Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Correctional and Detention FacilitiesGuidelines for Preventing the Transmission of M. TB in Health care SettingsInvestigation of Contacts of Persons with Infectious TBEpidemiology of Pediatric Tuberculosis in the United StatesTargeted Tuberculosis Testing and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis InfectionElectronic Tools & ResourcesWeb-Based Courses & Webinarsplus iconTB 101 for Health Care WorkersContent SyndicationInfographicsplus iconSocial Media GraphicsCustomizable Take on TB Infographic with InstructionsEventsWorld TB Dayplus iconU.S. TB ChampionsHistoryFeaturesplus iconTB Risk FactorsTreating Latent TB Infection with Short-Course RegimensWorld Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2021World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2020Linksplus iconState TB Control OfficesAbout Usplus iconMission Statement and Activitiesplus iconDTBE Strategic PlanNational TB Program ObjectivesOrganization ChartAdvisory Groupsplus iconFederal TB Task Force To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address			What's this?				Submit


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