Apparently a LOT of people require TB testing for work or job applications. Here is what I’ve found:
There are 3 ways to test for TB: Skin test (risky injection of ‘science juice’), blood test (could be ‘expensive’), chest x-ray (consider cumulative radiation exposure but could be best option). Both skin test and blood test can sometimes give a false positive which would then require x-rays anyway. A chiropractor can do x-rays – perhaps a cheaper option and a wholistic chiropractor may be more aware of limiting radiation exposure.
The consensus is for QuantiFERON TB Gold blood test which only requires a blood draw. Pricing will vary with your location. Phone around to a few different labs and ask the price. You don’t need a doctor to order it. There is another test – see below.
Chest X-rays are accepted by most employers and are generally valid proof of no TB for two years.
More on the Skin & Blood tests with links
Skin Test:
There are two versions, Tubersol and Aplisol, both containing purified protein derivative, polysorbate 80 and phenol. Also, worth noting that the CDC has announced nationwide shortages of the purified protein derivative used in making these products. Could it mean TB testing and concern has increased exponentially?
Nationwide Shortage of Tuberculin Skin Test Antigens: CDC Recommendations for Patient Care and Public Health Practice, Weekly / June 21, 2019 / 68(24);552–553, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6824a4.htm
TUBERSOL contains: Purified protein derivative of M. tuberculosis 5 TU per 0.1 mL, Polysorbate 80 0.0006%, Phenol 0.22% to 0.35% w/v, in sterile isotonic phosphate buffered saline.
https://www.fda.gov/media/74866/download
These may seem like minute amounts but Polysorbate 80 is used to open the blood brain barrier. Phenol is an extremely toxic chemical. Sometimes small amounts of poison can be extremely detrimental. Some people think the TB test is connected with later development of autoimmune diseases. Any eczema or family skin conditions are a good reason to avoid the skin test. Anyone who wants to preserve a robust innate immune system will want to avoid the skin test.
Blood test: “I order a blood test through Any Lab Test Now and take my results to employee health. Approx $80. Totally worth it.”
Interferon-Gamma Release Assays (IGRAs) are whole-blood tests that can aid in diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. They do not help differentiate latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) from tuberculosis disease. Two IGRAs that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are commercially available in the U.S. and are acceptable alternatives “can be used in place of (but not in addition to) TST in all situations in which CDC recommends TST as an aid in diagnosing M. tuberculosis infection, with preferences and special considerations…” https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/testing/igra.htm
- QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT);
- T-SPOT®.TB test (T-Spot)
The blood test “may be expensive” and may require you to pay out of pocket.
There is also a screening questionnaire for health care workers to help assess risk of infection. There is another set of diagnostic questions to help determine if there could be an underlying active TB infection. These were a little harder to find, and I don’t know how acceptable these would be for employment or job applications. I did find an interesting tip, the CDC does not recommend annual TB testing for health care workers! See a lot more information than you desire here.
Becky Hastings, passionate about Jesus, health, family, truth and healing foods. Thankful to have a new son-in-law who asked me about TB tests!