Tuberculosis

This information sheet  provides a comprehensive overview of tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that primarily affects the lungs but can involve other parts of the body. It distinguishes between Latent TB Infection (LTBI), which is asymptomatic and non-infectious, and active TB disease, which can be pulmonary (infectious) or extrapulmonary (non-infectious). Key signs and symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, chest pain, fever, night sweats, weakness, and weight loss, while extrapulmonary TB symptoms vary depending on the affected site. TB is transmitted through airborne particles expelled by individuals with active pulmonary or throat TB when they cough, sneeze, speak, or sing. Diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation, medical history, laboratory tests, and imaging studies. The article emphasizes the role of school nurses in TB prevention and control, including education, liaison work during school-based contact investigations or outbreaks, treatment recommendations, and guidance on school exclusion policies. It outlines that only students or staff with infectious active TB require exclusion, whereas individuals with LTBI or non-infectious TB do not. The piece also underscores the mandatory reporting of confirmed or presumptive active TB to local public health authorities. Additional resources from the Maine CDC and federal CDC provide further guidance and fact sheets.