HIV (human immunodeficiency virus, the AIDS virus) helps TB germs make you sick by attacking the germ fighters in your body. If you are infected with HIV and with TB germs, you have a very big chance of getting TB disease. The TB germs are much more likely to attack your lungs and other parts of the body. You can be cured, but it takes longer to cure someone with TB disease who also has HIV infection. If you think you might have HIV infection, talk to your doctor about getting an HIV test.

A tuberculosis bacterium is a strong drug resistant microorganism. It kills nearly 30 lakhs people globally, of whom nearly 50 percent are Asians. The rapid spread of HIV in the region has further complicated the already serious situation. TB is the commonest life-threatening opportunistic infection among people living with HIV in India, and the incidence of TB has now begun to increase, particularly in areas where HIV prevalence is high.

If you have TB infection, you need treatment so you will not get TB disease later. This is called preventive therapy. Isoniazid (INH) is the anti-TB drug used most often. Unless you get preventive treatment, TB infection can turn into TB disease. Anyone who is infected can develop TB disease, but those who are more likely include: People with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, certain types of cancers and being underweight; and especially These things make your body weaker.

Each disease speeds up the progress of the other, and TB considerably shortens the survival time of people living with HIV/AIDS. TB kills up to half of all AIDS patients worldwide. People who are co-infected with HIV and TB are up to 50 times as likely to develop active TB in a given year as people who are HIV-negative. HIV infection is the greatest risk factor for the progression of latent TB into active TB, and TB bacteria can accelerate the progress of HIV.

It is extremely important that people with Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) be tested for TB. People with HIV are at very high risk for TB because HIV weakens the immune system. TB also puts a strain on the immune system. It is important for people who have HIV infection and latent TB infection to take medication to kill the TB bacteria, or germs, in their body to prevent them from developing active TB disease.

In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. The bacteria become inactive, but they remain alive in the body and can become active later. This is called TB infection. Most people who have TB infection will never develop TB disease. In these people, the TB bacteria remain inactive for a lifetime without causing disease.

People with TB infection (without disease) have the germ that causes TB in their body. They may have been carrying this germ for a short or a very long time, but they are not sick because the germ lies inactive in the body. The body's strong immune system has the germs under control. While the TB germs are inactive in your body, they cannot hurt you and you cannot spread them to other people. In fact, if you are infected by the TB germs, you probably will not know it and you will not feel sick.

A person can have TB infection for years without any signs of disease. But if that person's immune system gets weak, the infection can quickly turn into TB disease. Also, if a person who has a weak immune system spends time with someone with infectious TB, he or she may become infected with TB bacteria and quickly develop TB disease. Because HIV infection weakens the immune system, people with TB infection and HIV infection are at very high risk of developing TB disease.

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Anyone at any age can become infected with bacteria that cause tuberculosis. Some people at higher risk include: people who have medical conditions which impair their immune systems (i.e., cancer, diabetes, silicosis.)

In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. The bacteria become inactive, but they remain alive in the body and can become active later. This is called latent TB infection. Many people who have latent TB infection never develop active TB disease. In these people, the TB bacteria remain inactive for a lifetime without causing disease.

Cough is reported less frequently among HIV positive TB cases, since there is less cavitation, inflammation and endo-bronchial irritation because of impaired cellular immunity. Majority of HIV positive pulmonary TB cases is smear positive though their proportion is less than among HIV negative pulmonary TB cases. The main types of Extra-pulmonary TB seen among HIV positive patients are - lymphadenopathy, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, miliary TB and tuberculous bacteraemia.

HIV will worsen the TB epidemic mainly because HIV increases the risk of disease reactivation in people with latent TB and because HIV-infected persons are more susceptible to new TB infection. These patients can then spread TB to other people. HIV is the most powerful risk factor for progression from TB infection to TB disease. An HIV positive person infected with M.

Many people who have TB infection never develop TB disease. But some people who have TB infection are more likely to develop TB disease than others. These people are at high risk for TB disease.

No, you can't give TB to anyone. But if you have TB infection and your family lives with you, it's a good idea for them to get tested to make sure that they are not also carrying the TB germ.

In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the person's body is able to fight the infection and keep them from growing. The TB bacteria become dormant, and this is called latent TB infection. People with latent TB infection: Many people who have latent TB infection never develop active TB disease. In these people, the TB bacteria remain in the body for a lifetime without causing disease.

Up to 6 months. If there has been NO risk for 6 months prior to the test, the results are 99.9% accurate. People with HIV may be MOST infectious to others during this first six months.

A notifiable disease is a disease that, by law, must be reported to the public health authority in the area in which the diagnosis is made. Please refer to the TERMS section under the term "NOTIFIABLE DISEASE" to obtain additional information for this question.

Evidence suggests that there is no increase in the risk of complications among women infected with HIV.

Some people get flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, sore muscles and joints, stomach ache, swollen lymph glands, or a skin rash one or two weeks after exposure to the virus. Most people; however, have no symptoms at all. You might not know if you are infected with HIV. One way to know is to get tested .

There is no need for anyone at school to know the HIV status of a student or employee. What everyone does need to understand is that the blood of any student or employee could potentially be infected with a bloodborne pathogen such as HIV or Hepatitis B, and that under normal conditions in regular educational programs, use of "Universal Precautions" is sufficient to protect against transmission of bloodborne diseases.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is a fatal infection caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV for short). This virus attacks the body's immune (defence) system and over period of time destroys it. This leaves the body defenceless against infections by other germs and the growth of cancers. Up till the middle of 1996, more than 27.9 million people have been infected worldwide. Over 40% are women, and over 2 million are infants and children. Of these, 5.

Abstinence from sexual contact is one fool proof method of avoiding HIV infection, other STDs and pregnancy. Don't be fooled into thinking that most teenagers are having penetrative sex. They aren't. There is much to think about before you can say "yes" to sex. And there are many other pleasurable activities you can do besides having penetrative sex - including caressing, stroking, massage, light kissing and mutual masturbation.