Where is the Lima Tuberculosis Hospital?

Do you think I may have tuberculosis?

• When I was a baby, I received a tuberculosis vaccination. But my doctor was unaware of that, and over the course of 4 years, I've taken 2-3 PPD shots. They're skin tests, that prove positive when they the skin becomes red and enlarged. However, after getting many positive tests results, I was scared that I may have caught in somehow. It wasn't until I went to my school nurse and told her that I was born in South America. SHE, not my doctor, told me that it was very likely that I already had received the tuberculosis vaccination (which I later learned I did). She said that from now on I shouldn't take anymore screen tests, because they will always turn up positive, and because I don't want to expose my body to tuberculosis anymore. Anyways, I don't have any symptoms of tuberculosis. I get an occasional chest pain (lasting one minute) here and there, but nothing serious. Also my blood tests were normal and I took a chest x-ray that came back perfectly fine. The only reason why I'm now having concerns is because I read that tuberculosis may be dormant or inactive for years. And that in some cases it comes and goes away. I don't have mucus or a bad cough, so I just want to know if I have anything to worry about. I also plan on seeing my doctor again, just to confirm that there's no tuberculosis, but is there anyone out there who may have a better understanding of whether I should worry about it much?

• Answer:

  You need to avoid those Mantoux Skin TB tests. Your arm will blow up every time. The only tests that you can to get to test for tuberculosis are a chest X-ray, a sputum test, or a Quadrigen Gold blood test. But if the BCG vaccine works, why would you worry about having tuberculosis?