Resources for Health Professionals

Preventing Exposure to TB Disease While Traveling Abroad

Travelers should avoid close contact or prolonged time with known TB patients in crowded, enclosed environments (for example, clinics, hospitals, prisons, or homeless shelters).

Travelers who anticipate possible prolonged exposure to people with TBshould have a tuberculin skin test (TST)  or interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) test  before leaving the United States.( If the test reaction is negative, they should have a repeat test 8 to 10 weeks after returning to the United States.)

What to Do If You Have Been Exposed to TB

If you think you have been exposed to someone with TB disease, contact your health care provider or local health department to see if you should be tested for TB. Be sure to tell the doctor or nurse when you spent time with someone who has TB disease.

Preventing Latent TB Infection from Progressing to TB Disease

Many people who have latent TB infection never develop TB disease. But some people who have latent TB infection are more likely to develop TB disease than others. Those at high risk for developing TB disease include:

People with HIV infection

People who became infected with TB bacteria in the last 2 years

Babies and young children

People who inject illegal drugs

People who are sick with other diseases that weaken the immune system

Elderly people

People who were not treated correctly for TB in the past