what is latent tuberculosis and active tuberculosis?

Latent TB means you have been exposed but the TB is not acute or active. You typically do not have symptoms even though you carry the disease.


Active TB means you have symptoms and the infection is acute or active. Avoid others if you have active TB.it spreads easily.

Persons with latent TB infection do not feel sick & do not have any symptomology, but have a positive tuberculin skin test. They r infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but do not have active disease. Persons with latent TB r not infectious & cannot spread TB to others.

Approximately 5-10% will develop active TB within their lifetime, & half of those will develop active TB within the first two years.

Some people have TB bacteria that overwhelms their immune defense system & the M. tuberculosis begins to multiply, resulting in the progression to active TB.

You r considered infectious & can spread the disease.