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Someone with tuberculosis can infect others. This is why the GGD Amsterdam Public Health Service always uses contact tracing if a person is diagnosed with infectious tuberculosis.
Information for patients
We investigate who you contracted tuberculosis from. We also check whether people with whom you have had contact are infected. This is how it works:
- The GGD Amsterdam Public Health Service nurse makes a list, together with you, of all the people you have been in contact with over the past weeks, such as family members, friends, colleagues or people at the gym.
- We first examine the people with whom you had frequent and prolonged contact.
- If these close contacts are infected, we will also examine the people with whom you had shorter contact.
- Good to know: we will not tell anyone that you have tuberculosis.
Information for contacts
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Consult the GGD Amsterdam Public Health Service if you have been in contact with someone with tuberculosis and the following applies to you:
- You have had symptoms such as coughing, night sweats or weight loss for more than two weeks
- You have lowered resistance due to illness or medication
- You have children younger than five who had contact with someone with tuberculosis
- You have not received an invitation for testing, but you are concerned
This is what we test
We test the contacts to determine whether they have antibodies to the tuberculosis bacteria. Because it takes a while for the body to produce antibodies, we do the test eight weeks after the last contact. However, sometimes we need to do tests immediately, such as when you have had prolonged contact with someone with tuberculosis.
The tests conducted during the first appointment for contact tracing are free of charge. If follow-up testing is necessary, there will be charges for the tests.
Further information and contact
If you have any questions, please contact the Tuberculosis Department of the GGD Amsterdam Public Health Service. We will be happy to help.