Download Appendix 3 Employee information – symptoms of TB

Appendix 3: Employee information – symptoms of TB
OH Assist has been notified that you have recently been in contact with a case of TB.
Human tuberculosis (TB) is caused by infection with bacteria of the Mycobacterium
tuberculosis complex and may affect almost any part of the body. The most common
form is pulmonary TB, which affects the lungs and accounts for almost 60% of all
cases in the UK General symptoms may include:
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fever
loss of appetite
weight loss
night sweats
general malaise and fatigue
blood-streaked sputum or, more rarely,
frank blood in the sputum
Almost all cases of TB in the UK are acquired through the respiratory route, by
breathing in infected respiratory droplets from a person with infectious respiratory TB.
Transmission is most likely when the sputum of person is confirmed as being
infectious by microscopic inspection. People infected with TB stop being infectious
after a couple of weeks of treatment.
Casual contacts of people with TB, who will include the great majority of workplace
contacts, should not normally require any specific assessment following exposure to
a case of close contact.*
If you develop 3 or more of the symptoms listed above, you should consult your GP.
You should also inform your manager so that this can be reported to your
Occupational Health provider.
* NICE do not provide a definition of prolonged contact with regard to occupational
risk. In most occupational circumstances, close contact is considered to be 8 hours
of cumulative contact with the index case. However, an individual risk assessment for
each index case should be made by the Control of Infection team supported by
advice from the Health Protection Agency as required.
BCG vaccination
BCG vaccination can offer some protection against TB but plays a limited role in TB
control. All healthcare workers and other employees with a higher occupational risk
should be offered BCG vaccination, irrespective of age.
Your manager will ask you to indicate whether or not you have a BCG scar (usually a
small white mark at the top of your left arm). If you do not or you are not sure ask
your manager to indicate this on the information collection sheet which has been
provided for this purpose. This will be returned to OH Assist within 10 working days
of receipt.
If you do not have a BCG scar or you are not sure, you will be invited to attend a
routine immunisation clinic where your vaccination requirements can be discussed
with a nurse.
Yours etc.