What Is Tuberculosis (TB)?
4. What Is Latent TB?
It is not uncommon for an individual to contract TB but not get sick. The bacteria live in the body, but some people’s immune systems are able to fight it off well enough to prevent tuberculosis from developing. This is called latent TB; people who have it do not have symptoms and cannot spread the disease to others, but they often do have positive test results.
Some of those who have the latent condition and do not get treated for it can later develop full tuberculosis disease. This is the reason for the onset of symptoms sometimes years after exposure to M. tuberculosis. Once people get the disease, they can spread it to others. Many who have latent TB never progress to the disease.
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