TB skin testing (Mantoux) is available at no charge in the Health Center. When planning please remember that you will need to return to the Health Center 48 – 72 hours following the test to have your arm checked. We are open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. We do not do Mantoux testing on Thursdays. Thursday testing would require I your arm be checked over the weekend, when we are not open.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria. Tuberculosis usually causes lung disease but almost any part of the body can be affected. At the time the infection is discovered you could no symptoms. Most infections are discovered by a skin test before the infection has become serious enough to cause any problems. The Mantoux test is the most accurate skin test. For this test, a small amount of protein from the tuberculosis bacteria will be injected into the top layer of your forearm skin. You will then be asked to return in 48 – 72 hours to have the area checked. Although this test is more reliable than some other TB tests, sometimes it may give a false-positive or false-negative result.
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a vaccination given to prevent tuberculosis. This vaccine is usually given to people who do not have TB but are likely to come in contact with people who have the disease. It is not a routine vaccination in the U.S. If you have had the BCG vaccine, be sure to tell you’re the health care provider. The BCG vaccine may cause the skin to become red after a TB skin test, suggesting that you have TB even when you don’t. At this point a follow-up x-ray may be requested as well as review of your history.
Back to the Health Center Main Page
