Tuberculosis (TB) factsheet

Introduction

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that affects different body parts but is mostly found in the lungs. It is caused by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

There are two types of TB:

latent TB – where a child has the infection but no symptoms and cannot spread it to others
active TB – when the infection develops into a disease with symptoms, and a child can spread it to others.

Most people with TB will have a latent infection. Around 10% with TB will develop an active disease.

A TB infection can have different names, depending on which part of the body is affected:

pulmonary TB – infection in the lungs
TB osteomyelitis – infection in the bones
TB cervical lymph adenitis – infection in the lymph nodes in the neck
TB meningitis – infection in the membranes around the brain.

Signs and symptoms

Active TB can develop slowly. Your child may become ill over weeks or months and have symptoms like:

a constant cough
cough with mucous or blood
fever
tiredness
sweating at nighttime
unexplained weight loss
pain and swelling at the site of infection – for example, the lungs or lymph nodes.

Diagnosis

TB infection is diagnosed using the Mantoux skin test. This test will only tell you if your child has a TB infection and cannot tell you whether it is latent or active.

Active TB in the lungs can also be diagnosed through tests like:

chest X-ray
sputum sample - the mucous from your child’s cough.

Active TB in other parts of the body can be diagnosed by testing:

urine samples
wound swabs
cells from a fine needle biopsy – where a thin needle takes a sample from different body parts.

If you or your child are diagnosed with TB, it is important to have other people in your household tested.

Active TB as a notifiable disease

Active TB is a notifiable disease in Australia. This means it is a risk to the public, and cases must be reported to the government health departments.

Your family has a right to privacy, so your child's TB clinic or the NSW health department can manage reporting. They can notify other people and services you may have had close contact with.

Speak to your child’s doctor about informing the school and other activities.

Treatment

Latent TB

Latent TB can be managed with:

antibiotics, to prevent it from developing into active TB
monitoring through regular chest X-rays.

Active TB

Active TB is treated with antibiotics, which must be taken for at least six months.

Treatment of TB in Australia is free, regardless of your child’s enrolment in Medicare.

Your child will be treated by a nurse at your local TB clinic. They will give you information about:

the specific treatment
how your child must take the medication
how long the medication must be taken for.

TB medication is given at the clinic in front of a nurse. This is called Directly Observed Treatment (DOT).

DOT is important to make sure that:

your child is taking the medication in the right way
there are no severe side effects
the infection does not spread to others.

Giving the medication irregularly or stopping too early can lead to your child:

developing a resistance to the medication, meaning it will no longer work
not clearing the TB infection from their body
spreading the TB infection to others.

Children who receive treatment for TB will usually recover completely with no long-term problems.

Children who develop TB meningitis may have some long-term complications, including severe brain damage.

Management

How TB spreads

Latent TB cannot spread to others.

Active TB can spread through fluid droplets in the air. This happens when a child with active TB:

coughs
sneezes
speaks
sings.

You are at risk of a TB infection when breathing in infected fluid droplets from another person. This is called exposure.

Children are most at risk of developing TB within a few months of being exposed. TB is rare in Australia, and infections are usually found in people who have travelled or been in close contact with travellers from overseas countries with high rates of infection.