Kentucky Tuberculosis (TB) Prevention and Control Program

The Kentucky Tuberculosis (TB) Prevention and Control Program is administered by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and provides services to control Tuberculosis prevention in the state. The goal of the program is to prevent the spread of tuberculosis in non-infected people and provide services to people who have active TB.

The state provides TB control activities including x-rays, medical assistance, nursing services, financial support, training, and managerial support. Different agencies are part of the program including employees, both public and private healthcare, medical department in the local communities. The fund for the Kentucky Tuberculosis (TB) Prevention and Control Program is provided to health departments in the local counties. The local health care providers serve as lead agencies for Turbeculosis program prevention.

Tuberculosis is spread by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease is airborne and affects your organs especially the lungs. There are two conditions, active TB and non-active TB. Tuberculosis is only dangerous if it’s active and people who are non-infectious are will not have any symptoms of the disease. It is a contagious disease and can spread through coughing and sneezing.

The different symptoms of Tuberculosis are chest pains, chills, sweating at night, cough with blood, loss of appetite and weight, high fever, and weakness. If you have more than one of these symptoms you should visit your doctor. In case you have active TB, the doctor will prescribe you drugs and treatment (last for about 6 to 12 months).

People with a weak immune system or pre-existing HIV disease are at more risk of getting TB. People who have been given or shared needle drugs and people who live with someone with TB have more threat of getting TB.

If you think you have been infected with TB, you should visit your local health care department.

The doctor there will perform a skin test to determine if you have infected TB or not. You should get tested if you resign or working in an area with a lot of TB patients, you frequently visit countries with high TB rates like Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

The most common test for Tuberculosis is the Skin Test. The test is done by injecting a small amount of fluid under the skin which is then checked by a health worker after 2-3 days. The positivity or negativity of the test is determined by analyzing the skin reaction to the fluid. If the results are positive, it means you have the disease which is then followed up with other tests including chest x-rays and lab tests to determine if the TB is active or not.

In Kentucky, the local health departments provide all the data on TB which is collected through the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System. The Council of State then receives information related to all active cases.

The medication for TB disease includes INH or Anyone which is given to patients with TB for about 6-9 months. The drug kills inactive TB bacteria to prevent it from turning active. People who have a high risk of developing TB are given medication even if their test results are negative to prevent them from developing the disease in the future.

You can also find out about the clinical practice preference and the TB Regulation Toolkit on the Kentucky Tuberculosis (TB) Prevention and Control Program official website. The applicants can also send the form via fax at (502) 564-3772.

Also Read: Kentucky Oral Health Program