What does it mean if I am diagnosed with latent tuberculosis (TB) infection after contact screening? Did I get it from the index case?
The latent TB infection could have been acquired from the index, or from other exposure. Latent TB is not uncommon in Singapore, especially in older persons who may have acquired it in their youth when TB rates in the country were very high.
At the national level, it is estimated that about 1 in 10 Singaporeans have latent TB. This is based on local research which estimated latent TB rates between those aged 18 years to 79 years to be from 2% to about 30%.
While the latent TB rate among those aged below 18 is not available, the latent TB rate is expected to be low in this age group.
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