Born in or Often in TB-Common Countries? CDC Says Get Tested
CDC recommends TB testing for people at higher risk of exposure to TB germs, including people born in or who frequently travel to countries where TB is common, including some countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. CDC also says TB tests are generally not needed for people with a low risk of infection; you may need a test even if you don’t feel sick, because TB germs can stay in the body for years without causing symptoms.
Where you were born is only one factor. CDC also lists people who have lived in group settings, people who recently spent time with someone with active TB disease, people who work in places like hospitals, and people more likely to get sick after infection. This article follows CDC’s TB testing page: who should be tested, the two kinds of tests, what results mean and where to get tested. Health situations differ, so ask your health care provider if you have questions.
Who should be tested
CDC explains (CDC Testing for Tuberculosis):
- Where you were born or often travel: people born in or who frequently travel to countries where TB is common, including some countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
- Group settings: people who live or have lived in group settings with more TB, such as homeless shelters or prisons.
- Recent contact: people who recently spent time with someone with active TB disease.
- Workplaces: people who work in higher-risk places such as hospitals, homeless shelters, correctional facilities or nursing homes.
- Other situations where you may need a test: TB symptoms, or a test required for work, school, travel or immigration screening.
- Low-risk people: CDC says TB tests are generally not needed for people with a low risk of infection.
People more likely to get sick after infection
CDC says inactive TB may never turn into TB disease, or it may turn into disease months or years later, when the immune system can no longer control the TB germs. People more likely to get sick include:
- Weakened immune systems: from medications or conditions such as diabetes, cancer or HIV.
- Recent infection: people infected within the past two years.
- Age: babies and young children (especially under 5) and older adults.
- Others: people who inject illegal drugs, people with other diseases that weaken the immune system, and people not treated correctly for TB in the past.
The two tests
- Blood test: a blood sample shows how your immune system reacts to TB proteins.
- Skin test: a small needle puts testing material under the skin, and you return in 2 to 3 days to have the reaction checked.
- If you had the BCG vaccine: CDC says many people born outside the United States have received the TB vaccine (BCG) and should tell their provider; BCG doesn’t affect blood test results, so blood tests are preferred for them.
- Which test: your health care provider decides.
What results mean
- Positive: TB germs are in your body; your health care provider will do other tests, which may include a chest x-ray and a sputum test, to tell whether you have inactive TB or active TB disease.
- Negative: TB is unlikely, but more tests may be needed if you have symptoms (such as cough, chest pain, fever, weight loss or fatigue), have HIV, or were recently exposed to TB.
- Inactive TB: you don’t feel sick and can’t spread TB to others.
- Keep a written record: a positive result may stay positive on future tests, even after treatment; ask your provider for a written record of your positive result.
Where to get tested
- Places: at the health department or your health care provider’s office.
- Cost: public and private health plans may cover TB testing.
- Finding a place: contact your state or local TB program.
For the green card medical exam, see Green Card Exam? See a USCIS Civil Surgeon, File With I-485; for hepatitis B screening, see Adults 18+ Should Get Tested for Hepatitis B at Least Once; for choosing a primary doctor, see Pick a Primary Doctor First, HMOs Usually Need Referrals.
What this article doesn’t cover
- Treatment: CDC has a separate page on treating inactive and active TB that this article didn’t review.
- Which countries count: the page only mentions some countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and doesn’t list them, so this article doesn’t either.
- TB checks in the immigration medical exam: the immigration exam has its own rules that this article didn’t review.
FAQ
I was born in Taiwan. Do I have to get tested?
CDC lists people born in countries where TB is common among those recommended for testing, but this page doesn’t list which countries; ask your health care provider whether you need a test. CDC says tests are generally not needed for people with a low risk of infection.
I had the BCG vaccine as a child. Does it affect testing?
CDC says BCG doesn’t affect blood test results, so blood tests are preferred for people who had it; tell your provider you had it.
Does a positive result mean I have TB disease?
Not necessarily. A positive result only means TB germs are in your body; your health care provider will do other tests, which may include a chest x-ray and a sputum test, to tell whether it’s inactive TB or active TB disease.
Can inactive TB spread?
CDC says people with inactive TB don’t feel sick and can’t spread TB germs to others.
Sources and date checked
All checked on 2026-11-01.
- CDC, Testing for Tuberculosis (page updated 2024-06-17):https://www.cdc.gov/tb/testing/index.html