Can I still work after having a positive Mantoux TB test?
If you are working in the United States, yes you will be able to continue working. I am assuming you do, since the Matoux test is not routinely used elsewhere in the world ordinarily. A positive test means at some point you have been exposed to Tuberculosis. It doesn’t mean you have Tuberculosis. The test is checking to see if you have antibodies, produced when the immune system was exposed and attacked the bacillus. You may have sucessfully fought off the disease, or it could be in an inactive state in your body. If they determine you have a positive test, most likely the next step will be a chest x-ray to make sure you don’t actually have active Tuberculosis. Once they decide you don’t, you will be given a medication which can kill Tuberculosis in the inactive state. Normally this is taken for a year, and you will have a liver function test (blood test) taken periodically to make sure you aren’t having problems with the medicine. During all this time, you will be allowed to work as u
