Frequently asked questions

Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease that is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs (although it can affect any part of the body).

You can get TB by breathing in tiny bacteria from the air when someone with TB coughs or sneezes.

Yes, TB can spread to others. That’s why people with TB may need to stay away from others or wear a mask until they are not contagious. Once people are on sustained TB treatment for two to three weeks, they are no longer infectious.

The main symptoms of TB are a persistent cough, night sweats, fever and weight loss. If you are coughing a lot, feeling tired, losing weight or experiencing night sweats it is important to go to a clinic or see a doctor.

No, TB is not spread by sharing food, drinks, or touching surfaces. It’s spread through the air when someone with TB coughs or sneezes.

Yes, TB can be cured with medicine, but it’s important to take the medicine exactly as your health worker prescribes for the right amount of time.

The TB germ dies very slowly. It will take at least six months for the drugs to kill all the TB germs in your body. After a while, you may start to feel better, but it is very important to finish the treatment. If you do not take your pills every day the germs will become active again and they may become resistant to the drugs. This is very serious because you will need stronger medicine which has to be taken for a longer period to kill the new germs.

People living with HIV are more likely to develop TB because HIV weakens the immune system, which makes it more difficult for the body to fight TB germs. If you have HIV, it is important to get tested for TB.

People with latent TB have breathed in TB germs, but their immune system is strong enough to ensure they do not develop TB disease. They do not have any symptoms and cannot spread TB. If they do not get TB preventive therapy (TPT), however, they may develop active TB disease in the future, spread the disease to others, and feel quite ill. People with active TB disease can be treated and cured if they get medical help.

TB preventive therapy (TPT) is a course of one or more anti-tuberculosis medicines given to people who have been exposed to TB to ensure they don’t develop active TB disease in the future. It can be given to people living with HIV (adults, adolescents and children), any close contacts of someone with TB, healthcare workers and others at heightened risk of TB.

Many people with TB don’t have symptoms (meaning they are asymptomatic). This means symptom screening alone may miss up to 50% of TB cases. Targeted universal testing for TB (TUTT) tests the most vulnerable groups for TB in South Africa, including people with a previous history of TB, household contacts, inmates in correctional centres, people living with HIV, children under five years old and health workers.

Don’t panic. Remember that because of the high prevalence of TB in South Africa, many of us have already been exposed to the TB germ many times. It is estimated that around 60% of adults in the Western Cape have a latent TB infection; in other words, they cannot transmit TB and are not sick, but already carry the TB germ in their bodies. If you are an adult who has had close contact with someone with TB, but do not have a compromised immune system and are not displaying any symptoms of TB, you do not need to have a TB test. If you are feeling worried or unsure, consult your clinic or doctor. Remember that anyone who is has been on effective TB treatment for 2 weeks is no longer infectious.