Signs of Tuberculosis

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Tuberculosis is a disease that was once nearly eradicated but now seems to be making a comeback.

Rambo Memorial Health Center is a local organization that specializes in tuberculosis treatment and its Executive Director Shannon Bell talked about the recent outbreaks and explained some of the complications that surround TB.

“Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection,” Bell said. “It is mycobacterium tuberculosis or you might hear it called m-tuberculosis. So it is an airborne disease. It’s spread when a person cough, cough, coughs, when they sing, when they talk and they produce droplets. So those droplets live in the air for several hours and then another person has the potential to inhale those through their mouth or through their nose.”

Once infected the TB can become active or become latent, which doesn’t develop symptoms. Active TB symptoms include a harsh cough that can bring up lots of phlegm and even blood. 

“Treatment for tuberculosis, if you have active tuberculosis, we treat it with antibiotics and it’s a combination of antibiotics,” Bell said. “It’s not just one antibiotic. You start out on four antibiotics and then once you reach a certain amount of doses… that varies from person to person. You’re looking at about 6-to-9 months for treatment and every person is different.”

Bell says TB isn’t as scary as it once was and that people can return to a normal way of life after being diagnosed with either form of TB. Rambo Memorial Health Center offers free tuberculosis screenings every day and anyone with concerns about the disease can call their office.