Couple; a child has been coughing for a long time, occasionally has a fever, a poor appetite and stunted growth. Then there is a chance that the child has TB, also called tuberculosis. What kind of infectious disease is this and what symptoms are associated with it?

TB (tuberculosis)

TB is a contagious infectious disease of the lungs caused by a bacterium. In the Netherlands, tuberculosis is no longer as common as it used to be.

Symptoms and complications

Common symptoms of tuberculosis are;

• Prolonged cough,
• Occasional fever,
• Poor appetite,
• lagging growth,
• Being hangry and tired.

Common complications with TB;

• Meningitis,
• Spread to other organs.

Contamination and consequences

Infection can only occur if a child has open TB. This means that the bacteria can come into contact with the outside air and easily infect others. A child with closed TB cannot infect others because the bacteria remain in the body.

Exclusion from daycare, playgroup or school

With some infectious diseases, a child is not welcome at a daycare center, playgroup or school for a while because of the high risk of infection. The GGD (Municipal Health Care) has drawn up rules for this. A child with TB must be excluded as long as it is contagious tuberculosis. Usually a child can come again up to 3 weeks after the start of treatment.

Report to the GGD

For some infectious diseases, a treating physician is obliged to report to the GGD that a child has this infectious disease. TB is reported to the GGD and the GGD informs the childcare center, parents, acquaintances, etc. about this infectious disease.