TB - what are the chances?

[OhWhatAPalaver]

I am so worried, my ex's mum has had a saliva test and she is producing an enzyme that is linked to TB. She was with my 5 year old all day on Saturday. We have to wait till mid December to find out the results of more thorough tests. Why is it such a long wait for a possible life threatening infection? I'm losing my mind worrying over this. My daughter gets a cough that sees to last all winter sometimes anyway and I also have a 17 month old. I'm so worried about it being passed on to the children. Has anyone else been in this situation before? So scared :( why don't they vaccinate against it sooner?!

[StealthPolarBear]

[retirednow]

Have you read the NHS website tb vacinnations page? If you are worried speak to your gp.

[OhWhatAPalaver]

I've read the TB page but it didn't mention vaccinations much. Will have a look. My gp was useless. Said its up to her consultant to contact any potential people at risk and that was it!

[PeasAndHarmony]

Has your 5 year old had all the standard jabs? I'm sure kids are vaccinated against TB.

My friend had TB (he's from a developing country where they do not vaccinate and TB is common, he'd picked it up there on holiday). He had to take a long course of antibiotics but was absolutely fine, Drs told him we now have great treatment for it unlike in the past.

[dementedpixie]

They don't vaccinate against TB as standard any more. Only certain areas are offered it.

[PeasAndHarmony]

Ah sorry pixie you are right, I just googled.

[dementedpixie]

https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/bcg-tuberculosis-TB-vaccine.aspx

[ChequeredPasta]

People who catch TB are usually in close contact (living together/daily contact). TB also takes time to develop, think months, and the fact that Healthcare professionals are investigating is reassuring.
I'd certainly be assertive in getting your daughter tested, but I wouldn't panic. It's treatable and unlikely to be picked up from one day's contact.

[CremeFresh]

You'd be amazed how many people I X-ray with ? TB these days. I think kids should still be vaccinated.

I hope everything turns out ok Op.

[SeaToSki]

Is your ex’s Mum coughing? TB is transmitted by droplet infection, she coughs and then it is in the air and someone else breathes it in. It is very easy to catch, but ONLY if someone is coughing.
Your kids will not have been vaccinated, it is only given to teenagers and not many of them anymore as it is getting very rare.

You can test for TB with a skin test, that is a 48 hr thing and although its not 100% conclusive, its usually the first test that is run for anyone suspected of TB. If they havent done it on your ex Mum, then it sounds like they dont think TB is likely and are looking at other options first. You could ask her to ring up and ask to be skin tested and see what her consultant says.

Has she been out of the country to the Middle East or Africa in the last year or so? TB is becoming more prevalent there because of the refugee situation.

TB is also mostly treatable these days, sending you a hug

[retirednow]

I thought I had read that children can be vacinnated if they have been in close contact with someone suffering with TB.

[upsidedownfrown]

I had tb back in 2013. They tried to trace where I caught it as they 'barcode' the strains but couldn't link me to anywhere. I live down south and my strain was being seen mostly in the midlands with one or 2 isolated cases down here.

Anyway, I coughed for WEEKS, being told by gp I had chest infection. I worked in a small office of 8 ppl. Once I was diagnosed they were all tested and none had caught it. Neither had anyone else in my household except for my 2yo but I guessed thats cos I was always carrying him around and he was always coming to my bed at night and basically always in my face.

6 months of brutal antibotics (3 different types) that wiped me out, 7 months off work, left with lung scars and crippling health anxiety (that's a diff story. Cbt hasn't been helpful) but actually, I'm in amazing health!

[Skyllo30]

Does your ex’s mum have lung disease or smoke? There’s bacteria related to TB that some people become colonised with but they’re not harmful to people with healthy immune systems and normal lungs, so not a risk to your child.

[sinceyouask]

TB vaccination varies around the country, doesn't it? DS1 and DS2 haven't had it, as in the area they were born in, vaccination is no longer routine (it used to happen at around the age of 15 there). DS3 has, because where we live now, it's given as one of the routine vaccinations to babies. I can't remember exactly how old he was but I'm pretty sure it was before my mat leave ended, and that was when he was 9 months. I had the vaccine as a newborn (1981) as my cousin was suspected to have TB.

[OhWhatAPalaver]

Thanks for the replies. She is a smoker so she coughs all the time anyway and has a terrible immune system as she has multiple health issues that make her prone to infections. She is a wreck tbh. They said she's got to have the test in the second week of December and be in isolation till then as it will give more accurate results if they leave it a bit longer before testing apparently. I'm trying not to worry too much as it was just one day but it is pretty scary stuff.

[retirednow]

Has she had an xray and a sputum sample taken. That's routine tests. Is she in hospital?

[Glitteryglitter]

You can request a vaccination through your health visitor dc had theirs done because the in laws regularly travel to India and so are at increased risk.

[OhWhatAPalaver]

Retirednow As far as I know she's only had the saliva test so far.... perhaps that's what she's waiting to have next week?

[OhWhatAPalaver]

And no, not in hospital. Just at home.

[retirednow]

is still in isolation at home? not allowed out or allowed visitors? If they thought she had TB wouldn't she be in hospital being treated for it, seems a bit odd.

[OhWhatAPalaver]

It does seem strange but I'm just hoping they think it's unlikely, hence the delay in testing etc.

[Christmascardqueen]

TB is usually treated in the community. If she has TB it’s totally investigated (all the places you’ve been, all the people you’ve been in contact with, infection control on you almost daily). Positive thoughts OP as the antibiotic schedule is brutal.

[retirednow]

Pp, can you stay at home until the tests are all done and if you have tb continue to stay at home.

[upsidedownfrown]

I was diagnosed in hospital (went in as a lit of pain in lungs/chest) and then 2 weeks isolation at home. Once you've started antibiotics its 2 weeks until you're not contagious anymore and a minimum 6 months meds. You can test positive but not have active tb. This is called latent tb. Many ppl have latent tb. They are just carriers and it doesn't become active in most ppl, therefore as you're not routinely tested for tb, many ppl don't realise they are carrying it. If you are found to be carrying it but its not out and active (coughing etc) you do 6 months of just 1 of the antibiotics. I think its rifampicin. If they thought she was high risk of having active tb, they would ask her to fill in a form of all the people she's been in contact with to decide whether to test them.

I must stress though, I was coughing my guts up for weeks and NOBODY caught it in my office. It's caught through close PROLONGED contact so please try not to worry.

The treatment made me very ill but I was very ill to start with. My 2yo who caught it did the 6 months of treatment and other than initial isolation (precaution even though no cough) and not liking the taste, you'd never know there was anything wrong! Was perfectly healthy before, during and after.

If you have any questions, I'll try my best to answer!

[upsidedownfrown]

Oh and my husband etc, were all assumed to have it (they didn't) just cos I did and were allowed to stay home and carry on as normal during tests etc.