tuberculosis

[lambekel]

In June I was with my 4 year old son at the zoo.  He came running over to me with his hair and face wet complaining that a guy spit on him.  I looked like mad for this person, but to no avail.  Anyway, the next morning my son was sick and threw up once.  By the evening he seemed better, but within a few days was developing a cough.  This cough would last about 6 weeks producing tons of thick mucus, especially at night.  It slowly went away, albeit never completely.  This past week he is begining to cough more.  We took him to the Dr. for an allergy test.  He has no environmental allergies.  She listened to his lungs and heard a slight wheeze on his exhalation.  SHe prescribed him with QVAR and Flonase and wants to see him back in 6 weeks.  So my question, could he have caught TB from this guy that spit on him?  Or am I over reacting?

Thanks!

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Understand your predicament. As suggested tuberculosis is usually a chronic disease. Here the PPD is positive. This is correlated with clinical symptoms, like cough, evening rise of temperature, weight loss and blood tests, which will show a raised ESR and increased lymphocyte count, if it is an active infection. So, if his symptoms are not improving with the medications given, then you can think of ruling out tuberculosis.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[mkh9]

Lambekel,
Sorry it took me so long to respond. I have just joined this site. I doubt very much that your child developed TB from this unfortuate incident. It was more likely a virus because of how rapid the symptoms came on. TB takes 2-10 weeks to develop symptoms and usually is transmitted by a cough not spit. However, it is possible to get it that way. Viruses usually can come up quickly. It may have been Adenovirus or some other such virus. What does the cough sound like and does he still throw up with it? Pertussis is also going around. I don't know if your son has been vaccinated for it. Did the doctor take a culture from your son? I hope he feels better soon.
mkh9