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Summary

  • TB is the most common AIDS-defining illness worldwide, but people with HIV respond well to TB treatment.
  • People who have been successfully treated for TB respond well to HIV treatment.
  • People with HIV can get TB when their CD4 cell count is at any level and pass it on to other people. But the risk of developing TB is highest in people who aren’t taking HIV treatment and who have a low CD4 cell count.
  • TB can be active, causing illness, or latent, which could cause illness in the future.
  • TB can be treated, but it is very important to take the drugs properly over many months.
  • Anti-TB drugs can interact with anti-HIV drugs, meaning that the doses of both may need to be adjusted.
  • Some strains of TB are multidrug-resistant. This type of TB is harder to treat. Extensively drug-resistant TB has also become a serious health concern in some regions of the world.
  • TB in people with HIV needs expert management.
This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.