A positive TB test means that someone has been exposed to the TB germ and follow up evaluation is needed. Once a positive TB test has been confirmed to be truly positive, there is no point in having repeat TB tests in the future. They will not hurt you, or cause disease, but will always continue to be positive. BCG vaccine (Bacille Calmette-Guerin) used in countries where TB is endemic, can decrease the severity of TB in children but will not prevent TB infection.

A positive TB test is red & raised. This 'induration' varies from person to person, depending on exposure history, country of birth, and BCG history. Usually anything over 10 mm induration is considered positive, although 5 mm may also be considered positive in some circumstances, eg. immune suppressed persons or close contact with infectious TB.

A positive skin test means that the germ that causes TB has caused an infection in your body. About 25,000 of the 250,000 people in Santa Cruz County have a positive skin test. You will need to get another test, a chest X-ray, to see if you are one of the 20 people out the 25,000 whose infection is advanced and who has TB disease. Only the few who have TB disease are contagious to others, and with treatment they can be cured and not spread the disease.

A positive antibody test could mean one of two things. It could mean that a person is infected with hepatitis C and is a chronic carrier. Or, it could mean that the person was infected with hepatits C but has cleared it from his or her body. An antibody test cannot tell anyone which of those two categories applies. Once infected, you will always have hepatitis C antibodies, and therefore will always test positive on a hepatitis C screening test.

No, even though a gene mutation may be present, you are not at 100% risk for developing cancer. An individual with a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 alteration is more likely to develop cancer than an individual without an alteration. However, not every individual who has a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 alteration will develop cancer, because genes are not the only factor affecting cancer risk.

A false positive hearing screening test result is when a baby does not have a hearing loss but the newborn does not pass the hearing screening. Hearing screening tests are not meant to diagnose hearing loss in infants. Instead, they are meant to find all infants that might have a hearing loss. Because they are not a diagnostic test, hearing screening tests sometimes misidentify infants as having a hearing loss.

A positive skin test means that a person has been infected with TB germs sometime during that person's life. It does not indicate that a person is contagious or symptomatic.

We use a two-step TB test. On the first day, the test is delivered to your forearm; 48 hours later a nurse "reads" the results of your skin test. The visits are brief, but you must be sure to schedule them so that you can return 48 hours later for a reading.

No. Their medical history is probably entirely different from yours. Unless there is a definite active case in the classroom & there has been contact, there is no need to be tested.

The person with a positive TB skin test who has no signs or symptoms of TB cannot give the TB germ to anyone else. The positive TB skin test indicates only that the person may have been exposed to the TB germ. It does not mean that they have TB disease. The Health Department is notified about all persons suspected of having or diagnosed with active TB disease which can be passed on to another person.

It is important to bear in mind that common diseases, such as atrial fibrillation and stroke, occur as a result of the interplay of both environmental (including lifestyle and other health and medical conditions) and inherited risk factors. As a result, having a specific genetic risk factor for a common disease does not mean that one will necessarily develop the disease; and not having a certain risk variant does not eliminate the possibility of developing the disease.

Some women have a fade-in pattern where the test will get darker for a day or two before the positive result. This generally isn't anything to worry about, and may have the benefit of a bit of advanced noticed. If you find you have a fade-in pattern, you should begin having intercourse when the fade-in pattern starts.

A positive test line means you have Stachybotrys chartarum or Aspergillus niger at the sample location, at levels detectable with this test. Although there are as yet no federal or state limits on mold or mold spores, your risk of exposure to these molds and their potential for producing harmful toxins will be greatly reduced by removing them.

A positive test indicates that there may be bleeding present in the gastrointestinal tract. Polyps, hemorrhoids, rectal fissures, or even stomach ulcers can cause bleeding that would give a positive result. The positive test result may or may not be related to cancer, so it is important to see a physician as soon as possible to determine what is causing the bleeding. Some studies suggest that only 5-10% of those with a positive test result will be diagnosed as having cancer.