Quantiferon test TB IGRA tuberculosis
The IGRA test (or the Interferon Gamma Release Assay) is a blood test that can detect tuberculosis infection. Having the IGRA test done carries no risk. NOTE!!! SUBMIT THIS TEST MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (NOT FRIDAY)
This test is often required for foreign country inspections.
For those infectious diseases for which there is a duty to report, we are obliged to report a positive result to your local GGD ( more information).
The old Mantoux test indicates a possible infection with tuberculosis. This improved IGRA test can clarify this.
To have the test done, a blood test must be taken. The blood is examined in the laboratory for the presence of tuberculosis antibodies. After two to three weeks, the results of the test are e-mailed. If there is an infection, you will be called first.
The result is positive
If the result of the IGRA test is positive, it is very likely that you are infected with tuberculosis. There are then two possibilities:
- A contamination has taken place, but the person examined is not (yet) ill (latent infection).
- The examined has the disease tuberculosis (active infection).
The rash is negative
If the result is negative, infection is unlikely, but cannot be ruled out completely. How the tuberculosis doctor explains the result depends, among other things, on the (medical) history of the person examined. The doctor will discuss what to do next.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that is fortunately becoming less common in the Netherlands. However, TB symptoms are difficult to link to the diagnosis of tuberculosis because it usually causes vague and common complaints, such as fatigue. Timely treatment is nevertheless necessary Worldwide, about one and a half million people die from the infection every year.
Tuberculosis is also known as TB. It is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium 'Mycobacterium tuberculosis'. The infection often begins in the alveoli of the lungs and is not contagious at that time. If the infection continues and does not heal itself, then we speak of tuberculosis. The disease is then contagious.
Tuberculosis can also affect other organs via the bloodstream.
Tuberculosis is spread through the air. Someone infected with tuberculosis can spread the bacteria by coughing and/or sneezing. When someone else ingests these bacteria, they can become infected. Fortunately, only about ten percent of people who contract the bacteria actually get sick. However, it is possible that the infection manifests itself later, when your resistance is low and your immune system can no longer fight the bacteria.
Tuberculosis is accompanied by fairly vague symptoms. This often makes it difficult to diagnose tuberculosis. If you are infected with tuberculosis, you can experience the following symptoms:
- Coughing: With tuberculosis you cough a lot, because tuberculosis mainly affects the lungs. Sometimes it happens that during the coughing some blood comes out.
- Fatigue: When you are infected with tuberculosis, you feel tired and lifeless.
- Fever
- Night Sweats
- Weight loss: this weight loss is one of the causes of a decreased appetite that often accompanies tuberculosis.
- In some cases, a person has tuberculosis without any symptoms.
Is tuberculosis treatable?
In the Netherlands, there are preventive measures in place to prevent infection with tuberculosis. Children under twelve years of age, of which at least one of the parents comes from a country where tuberculosis is common, are vaccinated against tuberculosis. When you travel to a country where tuberculosis is common, it is recommended that you take a vaccination if you plan to stay in that country for more than a year.
If you are infected with tuberculosis, the treatment consists of a long-term course of antibiotics. You will have to take various antibiotics for at least six months. Such antibiotic treatment can come with unpleasant side effects. If it turns out that the tuberculosis bacterium is resistant to the strongest antibiotics, the treatment will take at least 20 months.
