Treatment for latent TB infection
The affected people have tuberculosis bacteria in their bodies, but they are not sick because the bacteria are not active. They don’t have symptoms, and they don’t spread TB bacteria to others. But if tuberculosis bacteria become active in the body and multiply, the person develops TB disease. Therefore, people with latent TB infection often get treatment to prevent active TB.
Treatment for latent TB is much easier in comparison with active TB because there are less bacteria in the affected person. The medications for the treatment of latent TB infection include:
- Isoniazid
- Rifampin
- Rifapentine
Since people with weakened immune systems are at very high risk of developing TB disease when they are infected with TB bacteria, they should definitely get appropriate treatment and complete the entire course.
Treatment for TB disease
TB disease develops when the TB bacteria multiply in the body, and the immune system is not able to stop them from growing. The affected person becomes sick, and may spread the bacteria to others. However, the disease can be treated by taking different drugs for six to nine months with an initial phase of two months followed by a choice of options for the continuation phase of either four or seven months.
For an antibiotic combined treatment, the following drugs are primarily used:
- Isoniazid
- Rifampin
- Ethambutol
- Pyrazinamide
It’s very important that the patients with tuberculosis disease finish the medicine, and take the drugs exactly as prescribed. If not, they can become sick again. If they don’t stick to the prescription, the TB bacteria are still alive and might become resistant to those drugs. Tuberculosis that is resistant to medication is harder and more expensive to treat.
Modifications in treatment should be considered under special circumstances, e.g. if the patients are children, pregnant women, people with HIV infection or suspected drug resistance.
Preventive measures
Every person who has an increased risk of tuberculosis should be screened for latent TB infection. This may apply to people…
- with HIV infection
- having a disease that weakens the immune system
- who have been infected with TB in the last two years
- who were not treated correctly for TB in the past
- who use IV drug
- are addicted to alcohol
- are homeless
- with crowded living conditions
- who migrated from a country with many TB cases
- who are in contact with infected individuals
- who treat people with a high risk of TB
…as well as babies, young children, elderly people.
It is important to remember that TB germs remain in the body unless they are killed with the right medicine.
