If they do, they need therapy to prevent the development of TB disease. If they have TB disease, they need anti-TB medicine. Complications include chronic weakening of the lungs, damage to other organs, and death. In most cases, TB disease can be cured with anti-TB drugs. To be effective, the drugs must be taken exactly as prescribed.
Treatment usually involves a combination of several different drugs.
Because TB bacteria die very slowly, anti-TB drugs must be taken for 6 months or longer. Persons with TB disease must continue to take their medicine until all the bacteria are killed, even if the symptoms of disease go away and they start to feel better. Not completing the full TB treatment can be very dangerous. The disease will last longer, the person can continue to spread the disease to others, and the rate of transmission will increase. Also, the TB bacteria can become resistant to the drugs being used to kill them.