Last Updated: March 27, 2025
RICHMOND, Va. —Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourages community members to seek preventative care, screening, and/or treatment for tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis is a disease caused by germs that are spread from person to person through the air. World TB Day is on March 24.
“Tuberculosis is currently the world’s leading cause of death from an infectious agent,” said Dr. Stephanie Leary, pediatrician and Richmond and Henrico Health Districts public health physician. “Tuberculosis infection and disease is preventable and curable. Today, at the Richmond Henrico Health Districts, we recognize World TB Day while we bring awareness of this disease to our local community.”
TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidneys, or the spine. A person with TB can die if they do not get treatment. People with TB disease are most likely to spread the germs to people they spend time with every day, such as family members or coworkers. People who have been around someone who has TB disease should contact their doctor or local health department for tests. RHHD staff can help people determine which TB test they need.
Community members can call 804-482-5500 to schedule an appointment with the RHHD Tuberculosis Program. Community members can visit rhhd.gov for more information on RHHD clinical services, including screenings.
There are two TB-related conditions: active tuberculosis disease and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) or inactive TB. People with active TB disease usually feel sick, have symptoms and can spread TB to others. People with LTBI do not feel sick, do not have symptoms, and cannot spread TB to others. Most people with inactive TB don’t know that they are infected. The RHHD Tuberculosis Program strives to prevent, identify, and treat tuberculosis in both its latent and active forms.
The general symptoms of active TB disease include:
- Feelings of sickness or weakness
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Night sweats
The symptoms of active TB disease of the lungs also include:
- Coughing (especially a cough that won’t go away)
- Chest pain
- Coughing up of blood
Active TB disease can be treated by taking several drugs for 6 to 12 months. It is very important that people who have TB disease take the drugs exactly as prescribed for the entire length of the treatment. People who stop taking the drugs too soon can become sick again. If the drugs are not taken correctly, germs that are still alive in the body may become resistant to those drugs. Treating inactive TB or LTBI prevents the future development of active TB disease. RHHD’s TB outreach workers make sure clients have what they need to stay on track with their medication.
People at higher risk of developing active TB from inactive TB include:
- People with HIV
- Children younger than 5 years of age
- People recently infected with TB bacteria
- People with inadequately treated active TB>
- Anyone who’s immune system is suppressed either from a medical condition or medications that are taking (TNF alpha antagonists, system steroids, etc)
- People with Diabetes
- People with low body weight
- People who are medically underserved
World TB Day is recognized each year on March 24. This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes TB).
For more health and safety information, visit rhhd.gov and sign up for RHHD’s monthly newsletter at rhhd.gov/news.