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Is TB A Contagious Disease ?
Question: hi doc, i have two small bbabies(girls) aged 7 and 1.5 yrs. Recently my elder daughter had a bout of fever for past 4 days in that she had fever upto 100 degree. she responds well to combiflam and whenever she is given the same the is a no fever. doctors have diagnosed as tonsilitis. recently there is a boy working in our house who generally plays with our daughters. the boy was diagnosed with tb but was cured and was discharged from the hospital for last two months. is it possible to develop tb by contact with such person.
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting query.
This is very obvious for a parent like you to get anxious over such kind of issue.Tuberculosis is a communicable disease.When ever one is coughing he or she spreads infection to others(this applies to tuberculosis of lungs).The person in the surrounding can catch this infection if they have low immunity states means their body resistance is low.
It is not predictable that out of all contacts of patients who will develop and who will not.The good point is that tuberculosis is infective from point of infection to till 7 days of starting treatment.Means after 7 days of treatment the person stops spreading infection through sputum.
In your case your daughter is having fever but there is an obvious diagnosis available and exposure such patient is old means at least couple months back.There is not reason to worry I think and she should be fine after finishing the course of antibiotics as advised for tonsillitis.Again as I said earlier not every one exposed get tuberculosis,in childhood the BCG vaccine is given for prevention of this disease.
Just relax and give her medicines as advised and she should be fine.
I hope I have cleared you doubts. Still if you have more inquiries, I am here to reply you back.
Thanks for posting query.
This is very obvious for a parent like you to get anxious over such kind of issue.Tuberculosis is a communicable disease.When ever one is coughing he or she spreads infection to others(this applies to tuberculosis of lungs).The person in the surrounding can catch this infection if they have low immunity states means their body resistance is low.
It is not predictable that out of all contacts of patients who will develop and who will not.The good point is that tuberculosis is infective from point of infection to till 7 days of starting treatment.Means after 7 days of treatment the person stops spreading infection through sputum.
In your case your daughter is having fever but there is an obvious diagnosis available and exposure such patient is old means at least couple months back.There is not reason to worry I think and she should be fine after finishing the course of antibiotics as advised for tonsillitis.Again as I said earlier not every one exposed get tuberculosis,in childhood the BCG vaccine is given for prevention of this disease.
Just relax and give her medicines as advised and she should be fine.
I hope I have cleared you doubts. Still if you have more inquiries, I am here to reply you back.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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