How do I know if I am a close contact of tuberculosis? What should I do if I become a close contact?

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a chronic respiratory infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which seriously threatens people's health. Pulmonary tuberculosis patients (pathogen-positive patients) with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in their sputum are the main source of infection . People who have close contact with them may be infected, and the chance of developing tuberculosis in a lifetime after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis is 5% to 10%. How do you know if you are a close contact of pulmonary tuberculosis? What should you do if you become a close contact?

What is a “close contact of tuberculosis”?

In China, "close contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis" usually refer to people who have direct contact with patients with pathogen-positive pulmonary tuberculosis within 3 months before their diagnosis and 14 days after starting anti-tuberculosis treatment .

How do I know if I am a close contact of tuberculosis?

To determine whether someone is a close contact of tuberculosis, there are two main situations:

The first is close contacts within the family : people who have lived in the same residence with a pathogen-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patient for 7 days or more (including using a common bedroom or only using a common living room but not a common bedroom).

The second is close contacts outside the family : people who have close contact with patients with pathogen-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in the same class, workshop, office or dormitory and other gathering places, or have direct contact with patients in other closed spaces for 8 consecutive hours or more or 40 hours or more in total.

What should I do if I become a close contact?

After being infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, early detection and taking measures can greatly reduce the chance of developing tuberculosis. Therefore, as a close contact of a tuberculosis patient, you should do the following:

1. Go to a medical institution for tuberculosis screening as soon as possible. If you are identified as a latently infected person, you should take preventive medication under the guidance of medical staff, which can greatly reduce the possibility of developing pulmonary tuberculosis;

2. Monitor your own health and go to a medical institution as soon as possible if you have suspicious symptoms of tuberculosis, such as coughing, sputum, and hemoptysis. At the same time, you should cooperate with the community health service center or township health center in follow-up work and work together to do a good job in prevention and control;

3. Actively learn about tuberculosis prevention and control knowledge, and be the first person responsible for your own health. Daily personal hygiene, frequent hand washing, more ventilation, improved nutrition and exercise, maintaining a good work and rest routine, and improving resistance can effectively prevent tuberculosis.