SEARCHED TERM
Tuberculosis infection (TBI)
DEFINITION
Any person who harbours viable M. tuberculosis in the body, irrespective of signs or symptoms. When a person is tuberculosis infected, TST or IGRA tests are frequently positive (TST≥5mm, or IGRA according to manufacturer’s instructions). A positive TST or IGRA does not always mean tuberculosis infection is present. The preferred term is ‘M. tuberculosis infection’.
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SOURCE DEFINITION
Any person with a positive test for TB infection (TST≥5mm, positive IGRA according to manufacturer’s instructions) without microbiological, radiological, or clinical evidence of active TB.
OTHER DEFINITIONS
Persons with positive TST or QFT-G results, negative bacteriologic studies (if conducted), and no clinical, bacteriologic, or radiographic evidence of TB disease. A better term is infection with M. tuberculosis. In the majority of persons who inhale TB bacteria and become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. The bacteria become inactive, but they remain alive in the body and can become active later. TB infection is not contagious; patients with TB infection can not spread TB to other persons
Also called latent tuberculosis infection. It is a condition in which TB bacteria are alive but inactive in the body. People with latent TB infection have no symptoms; they do not feel sick, cannot spread TB bacteria to others, and usually test positive for infection – positive to a tuberculin skin test or a special test called IGRA test
When a person carries the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria inside the body. Many people have TB infection and are well
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