PEORIA COUNTY, Ill. – The Peoria County Health Department confirms one tuberculosis (TB) case in the county, with the patient in active treatment for the disease.
TB is a bacterial disease that affects the respiratory system, and that’s typically spread through coughing and sneezing.
Claushayla Nunn, an epidemiologist at the health department, tells 25 News, when someone’s infected, they’re isolated.
“The team of disease specialists will track and do Directly Observe Therapy [where they watch the patient take medication if there is an active patient,]” Nunn says.
Nunn also says TB can have long-term impacts.
“It can affect your respiratory system long-term when it comes to not being able to fight off infections,” she says. “Or if you continue to experience those symptoms, you can develop a drug resistance to the TB drug that is given.”
Other symptoms of TB may include night sweats, fatigue, and unexplained weight loss.
Nunn says early detection can help prevent the spread of TB because it’s still prevalent in the community.
There is a vaccine for TB called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), but it’s not generally used in the U.S. and is only considered for those who meet specific criteria.
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