This germ may remain dormant in the body for years, meaning that tuberculosis infection is present. This may or may not progress to the active disease of tuberculosis. Once diagnosed with the infection, your doctor may recommend an antibiotic which will kill the TB bacteria. This medication must be taken for at least six months. Those who do not complete antibiotic therapy will not eradicate the organism which causes the disease and are more likely to develop an antibiotic-resistant form of the disease.
Tuberculosis can be fatal.
The Tuberculosis skin test is performed at Health Service at no charge for all students. You must return within 48-72 hours after the test is administered, at which time a clearance will be provided if your test is negative. If your test is possitive, you must have a chest x-ray performed. A clearance will be issued when a copy of the radiology report is received, showing that the lungs are clear. Those who have a history of a positive test will most likely remain positive and should not have the skin test performed again.