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Tuberculosis

TB (Tuberculosis)

What is TB?

TB is short for tuberculosis. TB is a serious disease that can cause a person to become very sick if not treated with medicine. TB usually affects the lungs, but it sometimes affects other parts of the body.

How do you get TB Disease?

• TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB germs are passed through the air when someone who is sick with TB disease coughs, laughs, sings, or sneezes.
• If you breathe air that has TB germs you may get TB infection. This means you have only dormant (sleeping) TB germs in your body. The dormant germs cannot make you sick, and you cannot spread these germs to anyone else. This is called TB Infection or Latent TB.
• If these dormant TB germs in your body wake up and multiply you will get sick with TB disease.
• Both TB Infection and TB Disease are treated with oral medications. You can die from TB if it is not treated.

Treatment for TB Disease and TB Infection

Medications are provided free of charge for TB treatment through your local public health office. Contact us at 701-724-3725.

North Dakota Department of Health TB Program (hhs.nd.gov)