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A survival guide for family members of a TB patient

Here is how family members of a TB patient can prevent themselves from getting an infection

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Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : April 18, 2018 8:21 PM IST

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Shortage of drugs may worsen the treatment of TB patients, warns Health Ministry . © Shutterstock

Tuberculosis is a very contagious bacterial infection. According to a WHO report, India is the country with the highest burden of tuberculosis and there were around 2.76 million cases of tuberculosis in India in 2016. The report also mentions that 10.4 million people were affected by TB and 1.7 million people died. But TB is preventable just a few steps taken to ensure protection can go on the long way to prevent an infection. If the family members of a TB patient takes enough precaution and the right steps to get screened it can help to lessen the burden of this growing public menace. Read to know if TB can be life-threatening.

Here is a survival guide for family members of a TB patient to avoid getting infected:

  • If a family member gets TB it is necessary for the other members of the family to go for a basic skin test called the Mantoux test to know if they have acquired the infection.
  • If the test turns positive a chest x-ray needs to be done to check if the infection is active or latent. Latent TB is a condition where the person might have acquired the infection but it has not turned infectious or cannot spread the germ to others. However, without treatment, the about five to 10 percent of cases can turn into active TB or become infectious. If the chest x-ray does not show active TB treating the condition with antibiotics still become necessary or latent TB doesn t escalate to become infectious. Here are 10 faqs of tuberculosis answered by an expert.
  • A chest x-ray should be done on family members of a TB patient, especially those who are in the high-risk group, like a diabetic patient or members of the family who are given immunosuppressant for other illness. They are the most likely and vulnerable people to catch an infection.
  • If a mother is suffering from active TB in the house, it is necessary to check for a TB infection in the children and if the screening tests show latent TB a treatment for the same TB should be planned.
  • Family members of the affected patient should ensure that he/she adheres to their medication and follows proper hygiene rules to get rid of the infection soon.

Image source: Shutterstock

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Debjani Arora

Debjani Arora

Debjani is a new mother, a Bengali who likes north Indian food and has a sweet tooth she loves to nurture. Having worked with magazines like Mother & Baby India, Health & Nutrition, The English daily and The Asian Age , she loves writing, reading, traveling ... Read More