The most common symptom of TB in the lungs (often called pulmonary TB) is a cough that won't go away, which produces phlegm or mucus that can be bloody. Weight loss, chills and fevers followed by sweats, fatigue, night sweats and, occasionally, pain in the chest are also common symptoms of TB. These symptoms can appear very slowly and are similar to other illnesses seen in people with HIV.

In HIV-positive people with very severe immune damage, TB can spread from the lungs into any part of the body. Often TB affects the lymph nodes, causing them to swell. Other places of TB infection include the gut (causing pain and severe diarrhoea), the spine (causing numbness or tingling), the liver (causing inflammation), or the brain. If TB infection affects the brain, people might have symptoms of confusion, change in personality, seizures or difficulty moving parts of the body.

If you have symptoms which suggest you might have TB in any of these areas of the body, then you may need some extra tests and treatment, on top of the standard treatment for TB.