Tuberculosis Testing

Blood

Performed by: Sonora Quest Laboratories

What is tuberculosis (TB)?

Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis was once the leading cause of death in the United States, but it can now be successfully treated if discovered in time.

Microscopic droplets suspended in the air pass the TB organism from person to person. Infection can occur when an uninfected person comes in contact with someone who has active tuberculosis.

People who are exposed to TB may never get sick. They develop what is called latent TB infection. A person with latent TB is not contagious and does not show any signs or symptoms of being sick. The immune system controls the infection. Latent TB may develop into active TB if the immune system becomes weakened. A person with active TB disease is sick and shows signs and symptoms of the disease (e.g., persistent cough, weight loss). People with active TB are infectious and can spread the TB bacterium to others.

How can I be screened for TB?

There are two types of tests that screen for TB infection: the tuberculin skin test (TST or PPD) and blood tests such as the T-SPOT.TB test. The tuberculin skin test has been around for over 100 years. The T-SPOT.TB test is a blood test that was approved by the FDA in 2008. This test is particularly important for those who have had the TB vaccination, also known as the BCG vaccination, or for those who are immunocompromised.

What happens if my test result is positive?

A positive test may mean that you have either latent or active TB. Your doctor will advise you on whether any additional testing, such as a chest x-ray, is needed.

Biomarkers included in this panel:

T-Spot TB

Blood

The T-Spot TB test is a unique, single-visit blood test for tuberculosis (TB) that offers the opportunity to detect latent TB before it activates. The test is effective with immunocompromised and BCG-vaccinated patient populations and is the only IGR

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Tuberculosis Testing

Performed by: Sonora Quest Laboratories

Biomarkers included in this panel:

T-Spot TB

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