TB Skin Tests Postponed During National Shortage
The Medina County Health Department will postpone routine TB skin tests beginning May 1,
2013. The screenings, which cost $20 per person, are expected to resume once a national
shortage of TUBERSOL® and APLISOL® solutions for TB skin testing is resolved. The
Medina County Health Department will continue testing people who have symptoms of
tuberculosis (TB).
In response to the shortage, the Medina County Health Department is providing the TSPOT® TB test for $85. The T-SPOT® TB test is a TB laboratory blood test. It measures
how the immune system reacts to the bacteria that cause TB.
"By temporarily suspending routine screening for work, school or in-home child-care
businesses, the Medina County Health Department will ensure sufficient stock of
TUBERSOL® and APLISOL® for testing those with symptoms, individuals from countries
with high rate of TB, or those who have compromised immunity," stated Lisa Strebler, RN,
MSN, Director of Nursing. “The health of our community continues to be a priority.”
TB is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which usually attacks the
lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body. If not properly treated, TB can be
fatal. It is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the
air when a person with active tuberculosis of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or
sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
While TB has declined in Ohio and the U.S., it remains a common infectious disease
worldwide. One third of the world's population is infected with TB, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) says. In 2011, nearly 9 million people around the world
became sick with TB disease.
The temporary suspension of TB skin tests is consistent with guidance from the CDC. It is in
effect until the tuberculin shortage resolves. Check our website at www.medinahealth.org for
updates.
For more information on tuberculosis, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/tb/.