What is TB?
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by germs that are transmitted from person to person through the air. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidneys or the spine. When a person breathes in TB bacteria, the bacteria can settle in the lungs and begin to grow. From there, the bacteria can move through the blood to other parts of the body.
TB can be latent or a disease. Individuals with latent TB infection do not feel sick and do not have any symptoms. They are infected, but do not have TB disease. As such, they are not infectious. The only sign of TB infection is a positive reaction to the tuberculin skin test or TB blood test.
TB disease occurs when the TB bacteria overcome the defences of the immune system and begin to reproduce.
How can you get it?
TB is contracted when TB bacteria spread through the air from one individual to another. TB bacteria are spread when an individual with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, speaks or sings. TB in other parts of the body, such as the kidney or spine, is typically not infectious.
TB cannot be spread by:
- Shaking another individual’s hand
- Sharing food or drink
- Touching bed linens or toilet seats
- Sharing toothbrushes
- Kissing
Individuals with TB disease are most likely to transmit the infection to individuals they spend the most time with, such as family members, friends, students in the same classroom and co-workers. These germs can remain in the air for several hours, depending on the environment.
In general, children are not considered contagious and usually get the infection from infected adults. Children are less likely to spread TB bacteria to others. This is since the forms of TB disease typically seen in children are usually less infectious than the forms seen in adults. Children under the age of 10 years commonly develop TB that involves the glands surrounding the lungs. These glands contain few bacilli which enter the airways and means that they cough up small numbers of bacilli. As such, due to this restricted expulsion of bacilli, young children are rarely infectious. Less than 5% of children cough up large numbers of bacilli and are infectious.
What are the symptoms of TB?
Symptoms of TB disease depend on where the TB bacteria are growing in the body.
TB disease in the lungs may cause the following symptoms:
- A cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
- Pain in the chest
- Coughing up blood or phlegm
Other symptoms of TB disease include:
- Weakness or fatigue
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Chills
- Fever
- Night sweats
Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected.
Rarely, in a small number of children without proper treatment, TB infection does progress.
The symptoms in children with TB disease include:
- Fever
- Fatigue and weakness
- Irritability
- Persistent cough
- Laboured and rapid breathing
- Night sweats
- Swollen glands
- Weight loss
- Poor growth
In a small number of children (predominantly children less than four years of age), the TB infection can spread through the bloodstream, affecting any organ in the body. This increases the likelihood of these children developing TB meningitis.
What options do diagnosed people have?
TB is treatable and medications are usually prescribed for about 6 to 9 months. If you stop your medication or don’t take it as prescribed, the bacteria could become resistant to the medications, making TB treatment more complicated, expensive and longer (up to 18 to 24 months).
Treatment is suggested for children with latent TB infection to circumvent them from developing TB disease. Infants, young children and immunocompromised children (such as children with HIV) with latent TB infection or children in close contact with someone with infectious TB disease, require special consideration because they are at increased risk for getting TB disease.
A physician may recommend hospitalisation for the initial evaluation and treatment of TB, especially if:
- The child is a young infant
- There are severe drug reactions
- There are other diseases along with TB
If a student or teacher develops symptoms that suggest TB:
- Refer to a health professional for further management.
- Arrange a contact investigation by the nearest health facility to ensure there are no other cases of active TB in the School.
- Advise all learners, educators and support staff to be vigilant regarding TB symptoms and seek medical advice if any are found.
- In the event of a confirmed case of TB, advise the parents concerned to take their other children for a medical check-up if they develop TB symptoms.
- Provide support for the TB-infected.
What should students with TB do?
- Take your medication exactly as prescribed.
- Complete all your courses of medication.
- Keep all your clinic appointments.
- Undergo all tests indicated by your physician.
- Notify the physician about anything that might feel unusual.
- Continually cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough, sneeze or laugh. Put the tissue in a closed bag and throw it away.
- Separate yourself from others and avoid close contact with anyone. Sleep in a bedroom away from other family members.
- Air out your room frequently to the outside of the building.
- Place a fan in your window to exhaust air that may be filled with TB bacteria. If you open other windows in the room, the fan also will pull in fresh air.
- Do not go to school.
- Only return to school once the physician has indicated that it is safe for you to do so (children can usually return to school within 4 to 5 days of starting their treatment).
You might want to read about why it’s important to be mentally fit to teach.
