Told I was exposed to someone with tuberculosis

[pinkpalmtrees]

I got a call from the hospital this morning to say that when I stayed in to have my baby last year, I was exposed to someone with tuberculosis.

I’ve been asked to go in for a screening next week.

I asked for more information and they were too busy to give it to me. I’ve had a look at what it is (had never heard of it before) and now I’m really worried.

Has this happened to anyone else before? I’m more worried that my baby has caught it.

I am intrigued that OP had never heard of TB before - what a true tribute to the vaccination programme that has virtually eliminated this disease in the UK.

It is treatable now so do not panic - go for the screening and take it from there.

I’m 29 and I didn’t get the tb jab, I was the first year group to not get the injection at school, so if your 26 I would imagine you didn’t get it either.

@icedcoffees

I think the vaccines stopped the year after me and I'm 35, so I doubt you had it at school unless you were considered high risk for some reason.

That can't be the case as I had mine in school and I'm 32. I think I was in year 9/10 as well.

I think it must depend on area as well; I'm 45 and didn't have a BCG.

Yes my area stopped early seventies at the latest.

They started vaccinating in schools in 1998/99 (in my area at least) as they did the whole school that year. After that it was just year 9's, i was in sixth form (I'm 40 now) and had a bad reaction to it which is why I remember so clearly.

We had a TB case in a prison I worked in. It had to be reported. Colleagues up in arms. No one else caught it though.

BCG doesn't always leave a scar.

This is more common than you may realise

My dad was exposed whilst in hospital. He sadly died ( unrelated) but the same week we were all contacted and screened. Clear.

We were interviewed by a health protection unit who advised that a lot of older people especially in the UK actually carry dormant TB that is inactive - often becoming active only once their immune system is compromised with another illness.

That's why they did flower prick tests at school - if you had a reaction and the flower prick was raised then you'd already been exposed to TB.

Half my class got a positive flower prick in the early nineties so it must have been common.

They said it's not dangerous unless its active and shedding.
.

This happened to my partner. He done a placement over a year before then got a letter in post a year later. They just done the TB blood test and let him know a week or so later he was fine. Turns out they are over precautions as the lady on the phone explained that it might not have been direct exposure but for example they might have used the physio room the same day as him, not even same time