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Your new journey begins with a TB test.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease that can damage your lungs, brain, spine, and other parts of your body.
Get tested for TB today and protect yourself, your family, and your future.
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A TB Test can save your life.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease that can damage your lungs, brain, spine, and other parts of your body.
Get tested for TB today and protect yourself, your family, and your community.
About TB
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that is transmitted from one person to another through the air. TB mainly affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body like the brain, kidneys, or spine. If left untreated, tuberculosis can be fatal.
Common symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) disease include feeling tired, losing weight without explanation, having a fever, and experiencing night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs also include coughing, chest pain, and the coughing up of blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected.
When people inhale TB germs and get infected, their bodies can usually fight and stop the growth of these germs. TB germs can become inactive in the body but remain alive. They can wake up and become active again later. This is called latent TB infection, or LTBI for short. People with LTBI:
- Have no symptoms.
- Don’t feel sick.
- Cannot transmit TB germs to others.
- Usually test positive for TB through a blood test or a skin test reaction.
- May develop TB disease if they do not receive treatment for LTBI.
People with LTBI should receive treatment to prevent them from developing TB. Treating LTBI is crucial for eliminating TB in the U.S. It greatly lowers the chance of someone with LTBI developing TB disease.
There are two types of tests to detect TB infection: a skin test or a TB blood test. The Mantoux tuberculin skin test is done by injecting a small amount of fluid (tuberculin) into the skin on the lower arm. After getting the tuberculin skin test, it is important to come back within 48 to 72 hours. A trained healthcare worker will then examine your arm for any reactions.
The TB blood test measures how the patient’s immune system reacts to the germs that cause TB. A positive TB test indicates that a person has TB infection, but it does not determine if the person has TB disease. Chest x-ray and sputum sample are required to confirm TB disease.
People with TB disease spread germs to people they spend time with every day, like family members or coworkers. If you have been in contact with someone who has TB, you should talk to your doctor or local health department.
- Humanitarian parolees who recently arrived from countries with high TB rates.
- People who recently came into contact with someone with TB.
- Individuals with conditions like HIV or diabetes that weaken the immune system.
- People showing signs of tuberculosis.
- People who have lived or worked in high-risk settings (such as jails or homeless shelters).
Get Tested for TB
To find out more about TB and to schedule an appointment to get tested contact your doctor or your local health department.
![smiling patient smiling patient](https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/175/2023/08/patient.jpg)
Northern Virginia
Phone: 703-246-7100 or 703-246-2433 (TTY 711)
Email: hdcd@fairfaxcounty.gov
Address: 10777 Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22030
Hours of Operation: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Phone: 703-228-4980
Address: 2100 Washington Blvd., 2nd floor (Sequoia Plaza), Arlington, VA 22204
Hours of Operation: By appointment only.
Phone: 703-746-4888
Address: 4850 Mark Center Drive, Fourth Floor, Alexandria, VA 22311
Hours of Operation: By appointment only.
Phone: 703-792-6300
Address: Call for testing locations.
Hours of Operation: By appointment only.
Phone: 703-777-0236
Address: Call for testing locations.
Hours of Operation: By appointment only.
If you live in other areas of Virginia, you may locate your local health department here.
Contact Us
TB Main Phone Number: 804-864-7906
TB E-mail: tuberculosis@vdh.virginia.gov