• sharing tooth brushes
• saliva from kissing
• shaking someone's hand
• touching bed linens or toilets
• sharing food, drink or utensils

You need to make an appointment with your family doctor to have a physical exam and chest x-ray done.  If you are having no symptoms and your chest x-ray is clear you are recommended to start treatment for Latent Tuberculosis Infection. If you are having symptoms and chest x ray is suspicious for TB disease, sputums will be obtained to rule out if you have active pulmonary TB disease or not. If you don't have a family doctor the nurses at SDHD can assist you with this. Please call 712-279-6119 and ask for the TB nurse.

If you have been treated for Latent TB Infection (LTBI) you would have received a completion letter from SDHD. Your doctor and Iowa Department of Public Health TB Program also have copies of these letters.

If Siouxland District Health Department, your doctor or Iowa Department of Public Health TB Program doesn't have a copy of your completion letter you will need to follow up with your family DR. Your family Dr will need to perform a physical exam done along with another skin test or Quantiferon gold test and chest x-ray to make sure you don't have any symptoms of active pulmonary disease. 

Once you have had a positive skin test or Quantiferon gold you should never have another one done, it will always be positive. In place of the test, you will need to have a TB questionnaire completed. Some work places and schools may request you to have a chest x ray done instead of the questionnaire. The questionnaire asks you about signs and symptoms of TB disease and a nurse will assess you. If you have symptoms you will need to follow up with your physician for a physical exam and a chest x-ray.  Active pulmonary TB disease will need to be ruled out.

Here are up to date numbers for Woodbury County and the state of Iowa. 

Anyone can become infected with tuberculosis- infants to elderly. Certain risk factors can increase an individuals chances of getting TB. The following are some risk factors: HIV infection, homelessness, poverty, being in jail, prison, homeless shelters and nursing homes (where close contact can spread infection), substance abuse, taking meds that weakens the immune system, kidney disease, diabetes, organ transplants, working in healthcare and cancer. Individuals who have close contact with someone with active TB, for example: a close friend, household contacts or classmate with active pulmonary TB have higher chance of becoming sick with TB. 

Individuals who are born in or who frequently travel to countries where TB disease is common, including: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Philippines.