Latent Tuberculosis Infection

A latent (inactive) tuberculosis (TB) infection is the presence of TB bacteria in a person's lungs even though he or she does not have symptoms of TB (such as coughing, weight loss, fatigue, or fever).

A person with latent tuberculosis infection has no signs of active TB on a chest X-ray, and no TB-causing bacteria can be found in the mucus from the person's lungs (sputum). The only proof that the person has a TB infection is a positive TB skin test or TB blood test (interferon-gamma release assay or IGRA).

People who have a latent TB infection do not spread the disease to other people. They may need to take medicine to prevent the bacteria from becoming active in the future.