The goal of the Tuberculosis Control Program is to decrease the incidence of
TB in Rensselaer County through effective screening, health education, outreach
to those at risk and appropriate treatment.
In addition to clinical consultation, the program provides the following services.
- Referrals
- Directly Observed Therapy
- TB Exposure Control
- Educational Presentations
- Community Based Programs
- Outreach Programs
- Targeted Testing/Foreign Borne Program
The Tuberculosis Clinic is located at the Rensselaer County Health Department.
Appointments are required for most services.
Call (518)270-2630 for more information
or to schedule an appointment.
To understand more about tuberculosis and how it is spread, see FAQs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease usually affecting the lungs (pulmonary TB).
Other parts of the body can also be affected, for example lymph nodes, kidneys,
bones, joints, etc., (extrapulmonary TB). Approximately 1800 cases are reported
each year in NYS.
Who gets tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis can affect anyone of any age. People with weakened immune systems
are at increased risk.
How is tuberculosis spread?
Tuberculosis is spread through the air when a person with untreated pulmonary
TB coughs or sneezes. Prolonged exposure to a person with untreated TB usually
is necessary for infection to occur.
What is the difference between latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis
disease?
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) means the person has the TB germ in their
body (usually lungs), but has yet to develop obvious symptoms. In latent TB,
the person has a significant reaction to the Mantoux skin test with no symptoms
of tuberculosis, and no TB organisms found in the sputum. Tuberculosis disease
indicates the person has symptoms, a significant reaction to a Mantoux skin test
and organisms found in the sputum. In order to spread the TB germs, a person
must have TB disease. Having latent TB infection is not enough to spread the
germ. Tuberculosis may last for a lifetime as an infection, never developing
into disease.
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?
The symptoms of TB include a low-grade fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss
and a persistent cough. Some people may not have obvious symptoms.
How soon do symptoms appear?
Most people infected with the germ that causes TB never develop active TB. If
active TB does develop, it can occur two to three months after infection or years
later. The risk of active disease lessens as time passes.
When and for how long is a person able to spread tuberculosis?
A person with TB disease may remain contagious until he/she has been on appropriate
treatment for several weeks. However, a person with latent TB infection, but
not disease, cannot spread the infection to others, since there are no TB germs
in the sputum.
What is the treatment for tuberculosis?
People with latent TB infection should be evaluated for a course of preventive
therapy, which usually includes taking antituberculosis medication for several
months. People with active TB disease must complete a course of treatment for
six months or more. Initial treatment includes at lease four anti-TB drugs, and
medications may be altered based on laboratory test results. The exact medication
plan must be determined by a physician. Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) Programs
are recommended for all TB patients to help them complete their therapy.
What can be the effect of not being treated for tuberculosis?
In addition to spreading the disease to others, an untreated person may become
severely ill or die.
What can be done to prevent the spread of tuberculosis?
The most important way to stop the spread of tuberculosis is for TB patients
to cover the mouth and nose when coughing, and to take all the TB medicine exactly
as prescribed by the physician.
What is multiple drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)?
This refers to the ability of some strains of TB to grow and multiply even in
the presence of certain drugs which would normally kill them.
Who gets MDR-TB?
TB patients with drug sensitive disease may develop drug resistant tuberculosis
if they fail to take antituberculosis medications as prescribed, as well as TB
patients who have been prescribed an ineffective treatment plan. TB cases diseased
with MDR-TB can transmit the drug resistant infection to other individuals.
What is the treatment for multiple drug resistant tuberculosis?
For patients with disease due to drug resistant organisms, expert consultation
from a specialist in treating drug resistant TB should be obtained. Patients
with drug resistant disease should be treated with drugs to which their organisms
are susceptible. The effectiveness of treatment for latent infection with MDR-TB
is uncertain.
What can be done to prevent the spread of MDR-TB?
Ensuring people with MDR-TB take all their medication and teaching patients to
cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing can reduce the risk of
spread of MDR-TB. In addition, Directly Observed Therapy should be used to ensure
patients complete the recommended course of therapy.
If I received BCG can I still get tuberculosis?
Many foreign countries still use BCG as part of their TB control programs, especially
for infants. In persons vaccinated with BCG, sensitivity to tuberculin is highly
variable, depending upon the strain of BCG used and the group vaccinated. The
presence or size of a postvaccination tuberculin skin-test reaction does not
predict whether BCG will provide any protection against TB disease. Furthermore,
the size of a tuberculin skin-test reaction in a BCG-vaccinated person is not
a factor in determining whether the reaction is caused by M. tuberculosis infection
or by the prior BCG vaccination.
Tuberculin skin testing is not contraindicated for persons who have been vaccinated
with BCG, and the skin-test results of such persons are used to support or exclude
the diagnosis of M. tuberculosis infection. The booster phenomenon may occur
among persons who have had a prior BCG vaccination . A diagnosis of M. tuberculosis
infection and the use of treatment for infection should be considered for any
BCG-vaccinated person who has a tuberculin skin-test reaction of >= 10 mm
of induration, especially if any of the following circumstances are present:
- The
vaccinated person is a contact of another person who has infectious TB, particularly
if the infectious person has transmitted M. tuberculosis to
others;
- The vaccinated person was born or has resided in a country in which
the prevalence
of TB is high; or
- The vaccinated person is exposed continually to populations
in which the prevalence of TB is high (e.g., some health care workers, employees
and
volunteers at homeless
shelters, and workers at drug-treatment centers).
Treatment for infection should be considered for BCG-vaccinated persons who
are infected with HIV and who are at risk for M. tuberculosis infection if
they have
a tuberculin skin-test reaction of >= 5mm induration. Because HIV-infected
persons may be anergic (i.e., may not react to tuberculin because of immunosuppression),
isoniazid treatment for infection should be considered for these persons
if they have a history of contact with another person who has infectious
TB, regardless
of the fact that they may be nonreactive to tuberculin.
For more information please visit the CDC web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/default.htm
|
