Tuberculosis is a serious disease that can affect more than just the person who has the illness. All persons in close contact with an individual carrying TB is at risk of contracting the infection. If the information on this page does not provide you with the answers you need, contact us  and DOH - St. Johns will be happy to clarify.

►

CDC — How TB Spreads
with Closed Captions
(Video Length 1:41)

CDC – Text Equivalent

What is Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that is spread from person to person through the air. TB usually affects the lungs. The germs are put into the air when a person with TB of the lung coughs, sneezes, laughs or sings. TB can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidneys or the spine.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What are the symptoms of TB?
• How is Tuberculosis Transmitted?
• No one gets TB anymore, do they?
• Who gets TB?
• How can I tell if I have TB?
• Where can I get a TB skin Test or blood test?
• How is the skin test given?
• What if the test is negative?
• What if the test is positive?
• How is the blood test given?
• What should I do if I have TB infection or disease?

Downloadable Materials:

Patient Directions for Sputum Collection:  English, Spanish, and Creole.

The Tuberculin Skin Test Tells Who Is Infected: What Does It Mean? in English, Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Serbian, Russian, Vietnamese, Ukranian, Bosnian, Serbo-Croatian, Arabic, Farsi, Korean, Somali, Chinese, Hindi.

INH- Standing Between You and TB in  English, Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Serbian, Russian, Vietnamese, Ukranian, Bosnian, Serbo-Croatian, Arabic, Farsi, Korean, Somali, Chinese, Hindi.

TB Educational Videos:

►

The Facts About TB
with Closed Captions
(Video Length 1:21)

• Audience: Concerned Public       
• Producer: CDC
• Description: Many people think that tuberculosis (TB) is a disease of the past - an illness that no longer threatens us today. This CDC video highlights the continuing problem of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States and encourages people to take action by visiting the CDC TB website and getting tested for TB infection if they are at risk.

►

You Can Prevent TB
(Video Length 9:34)

• Audience: People with TB infection        
• Producer: NYC
• Description: When Trevor discovers he has been infected with TB, a visit to the doctor calms his fears. Trevor learns the facts about TB and decides to complete preventive treatment. By taking medicine, Trevor can wipe out most of the TB germs in his body before they become active, so they cannot hurt him or anyone else.

►

TB and HIV Connection
(Video Length 1:21)

• Audience: People with HIV infection         
• Producer: NYC
• Description: Bob has been asking his friend, Joey to get a TB skin test. They are both HIV positive and Bob is concerned Joey has not had a TB test. Joey finally goes to the clinic and discovers he has been infected with TB. He meets the doctor and decides to take the preventive treatment. Denia, the HIV counselor, stresses the importance of preventive treatment for people with HIV.

►

You Can Beat TB
(Video Length 12:25)

• Audience: People in treatment for TB
• Length: 12 minutes          
• Producer: NYC
• Description: Frank is receiving treatment for TB disease. He is coming regularly to the clinic but has begun to miss appointments. Carmen, his outreach worker, visits Frank at work and reminds him how important it is to stick to his treatment. She offers to meet him nearby for Directly Observed Therapy.

Note: This page contains materials in the Portable Document Format (PDF). The free Adobe Reader may be required to view these files.

More information about Tuberculosis is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Tuberculosis.

If you have any Tuberculosis questions or concerns, please call DOH–St. Johns Epidemiology.