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Dear Doctor,
My five-year-old son has been coughing for the last two weeks. I took him to clinic, they gave me syrup but no improvement. When I asked the teacher at school, I was told many children in the class have cough and flu. My friend also told me that one of the kids in that class has TB and is on treatment. Do you think my child could have contracted TB from the classmate?
Answer
Thank you for your question. Generally, children do not transmit TB to other children. Tuberculosis (TB), is a bacterial infection caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB bacteria are spread from person to person (mainly adults or adult to child) through the air. The TB bacteria are put into the air when an adult with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings.
A child nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected. Young children are at high risk of developing active tuberculosis because of poorly developed immune system. When a child develops active tuberculosis disease, there is a family member or close contact with TB. As they say: "TB in a child means TB in an adult." The most common symptom is prolonged coughing, often not responding to common antibiotic treatment.
Other symptoms may include weight loss, failure to thrive, vomiting, refusal to feed and drenching night sweats. Risk factors for childhood TB include the presence of a household member or close contact with infectious TB, age less than 5 years and a child infected with HIV or severe malnutrition. A child who has HIV infection can easily suffer from TB meningitis, which can lead to deafness, blindness, paralysis and mental retardation.
HIV infection is common in children with TB. Children with HIV are at a greater risk for TB infection and TB disease than children without HIV infection. When treated appropriately, TB can be cured. The response to TB treatment is poorer in children with HIV infection than in children without HIV infection. Early diagnosis and successful treatment of an infectious adult patient is the best way to protect children from becoming infected with TB.The BCG vaccine only protects against severe forms of TB disease, such as TB meningitis and disseminated TB, in infants and young children.
Dr Ombeva Malande is a paediatrics and child health expert
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