Press release from Henderson Co. Dept. of Public Health:
Effective Monday, August 5, the Department of Public Health will no longer offer routine tuberculosis (TB) skin test screenings due to a nationwide shortage of the purified protein derivative (PPD) used in TB skin testing. It is unclear when the shortage will be resolved. The NC TB program has recommended that health departments and hospitals defer TB skin testing during this shortage for lower risk people. This will preserve the remaining supply during the shortage for high-risk people and outbreaks.
For patients needing a TB test for employment or school, public health nurses can assess a patient’s risk through a screening questionnaire. If testing is not needed, a letter stating that the patient is low risk for TB will be provided. Any patient who still desires a test for TB will be referred for an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) blood test. This test is reliable but has a higher cost.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria that can damage the lungs or other parts of the body like the spine, lymph nodes or kidneys, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.
TB is spread through the air from one person to another when a person with active TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings. Most people who become infected with TB do not get sick. This condition is known as latent TB infection (LTBI). People with LTBI cannot infect other people. However, without proper antibiotic treatment, the infection can progress to active TB disease.
A person with active TB disease may be infectious to others and must receive treatment for the condition. By law, physicians must report TB cases to the local health department. Both LTBI and TB disease require medical attention. In North Carolina, treatment of both conditions is provided free of charge through local health departments.
For more information, call the Immunization Clinic at (828) 694-6015 or visithendersoncountync.gov/health/page/communicable-disease.
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