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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Skin Test Positive After Working For TB Camp. Am I A Carrier ?

I worked in a TB camp in Cuba i the late 90 s. I am Navy and medical personnal were in short supply so other active duty (like me) were pulled to help out in the camps - especially where women and children were housed. (Shortage of females on base at the time to attend medical staff with female and children patients). I was tested prior to leaving Cuba and skin testing showed Positive I guess this would mean I had been exposed. Now, I have a chest xray for testing each year. Am I doing everything correctly to ensure I do not have active TB and am not a carrier? Thank you.
Fri, 22 Feb 2013
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hello Gardiner,

Thanks for posting on HCM,
I am happy to know that you are concerned about acquiring active TB. As you rightly said, skin testing shows you have been exposed but you do not have an active TB infection.
What to do to avoid having active TB is living a good healthy life. You should avoid first getting HIV, do screeing for diabetes and other diseases that could lead to a state of immunodepression of your system.
Being immunodepressed in general will allow the infection to become active since antibodies from white blood cells would not be able to fight the infection. Aging can also active or allow easy acquiring of the infection.
It is needless doing a routine chest x-ray or other tests for screening they wouldn't help you much.
Protect yourself when around people with chronic cough or known active pulmonary TB.
By I do not think there is a call for alarm situation right now.

Hope this helps
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Skin Test Positive After Working For TB Camp. Am I A Carrier ?

Hello Gardiner, Thanks for posting on HCM, I am happy to know that you are concerned about acquiring active TB. As you rightly said, skin testing shows you have been exposed but you do not have an active TB infection. What to do to avoid having active TB is living a good healthy life. You should avoid first getting HIV, do screeing for diabetes and other diseases that could lead to a state of immunodepression of your system. Being immunodepressed in general will allow the infection to become active since antibodies from white blood cells would not be able to fight the infection. Aging can also active or allow easy acquiring of the infection. It is needless doing a routine chest x-ray or other tests for screening they wouldn t help you much. Protect yourself when around people with chronic cough or known active pulmonary TB. By I do not think there is a call for alarm situation right now. Hope this helps