Tuberculosis - refugeehealth.bg

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT TUBERCULOSIS?

Do you know that tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that mainly affects the lungs? The good news is that tuberculosis can be treated if it is detected early and you strictly follow your doctor’s recommendations. Don’t delay—get tested, take care of your health, and protect those around you.

How does tuberculosis spread?

The TB germ is spread from person to person through the air—when a person with pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, talks, laughs, or sings.

You cannot catch TB through a handshake, sharing food or drinks, touching objects, or kissing.

REMEMBER! The risk of developing active tuberculosis increases significantly when the body’s defences (the immune system) are weakened. This can happen if:

you live in poor or overcrowded conditions; you eat poorly or not enough;
you consume excessive amounts of alcohol or use injectable drugs; you have conditions such as diabetes, HIV, hepatitis, or malaria.
Young children and older people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to developing active TB.
The immune system helps the body keep TB bacteria inactive. However, when it is weakened, the risk of latent infection progressing to active disease increases significantly.

Young children and older people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to developing active tuberculosis. The immune system helps the body keep TB bacteria inactive.

However, when it is weakened, the risk of latent infection progressing to active disease increases significantly.

How can you get infected with tuberculosis?

Anyone can be exposed to TB bacteria and become infected. When you have latent (inactive) TB infection, the bacteria are present in your body but do not cause symptoms. In this case, you feel healthy and cannot spread TB to other people.

However, latent infection can progress to active TB disease if the immune system becomes weakened. That is why preventive treatment is important—to stop the disease from developing at an early stage and to avoid serious consequences.

How to recognise active tuberculosis?

If the immune system becomes weakened, latent (inactive) TB infection can progress to active TB. In this case, a person may start to feel generally unwell, weak, and tired.

Main symptoms of active TB include:

persistent cough;
chest pain or discomfort;
coughing up blood;
increased fatigue and weakness;
night sweats;
fever or raised temperature;
loss of appetite and weight loss.

If you notice one or more of these symptoms, contact a TB clinic immediately!

How to get tested for tuberculosis (TB)?

If your symptoms persist for more than three weeks, or you have been in contact with someone who has TB, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

If you do not have a GP and you feel unwell, go to the nearest medical facility where TB diagnosis and treatment are provided. To confirm the diagnosis, doctors will carry out tests that may include a sputum test and a chest X-ray.

Seeing a doctor early and getting tested on time is the best way to protect your health and the health of those around you.

How is tuberculosis treated?

Tuberculosis is completely curable with correct and timely treatment!

Anti-TB medicines kill TB bacteria, but to achieve a full recovery they must be taken every day for at least 6 months, strictly following the doctor’s prescription. In Bulgaria, TB diagnosis, treatment, and anti-TB medicines (including for latent TB) are provided free of charge and are fully covered by the Ministry of Health.

Even if you feel better, do not stop treatment early. Interrupting the course may allow some bacteria to survive and become drug-resistant, which makes treatment much more difficult.

Completing the full course of treatment helps to:

completely eliminate TB bacteria;
prevent relapse or reinfection;
stop TB from spreading to family and close contacts;
protect yourself and others from drug-resistant forms of TB.

TUBERCULOSIS IS CURABLE, but it takes time and patience!

If TB is not treated, or if anti-TB medicines are taken irregularly, a drug-resistant form of TB can develop. This form is much more difficult and longer to treat, and in some cases can be fatal even with therapy.
If you do not take medicines as prescribed by your doctor, you risk infecting other people with TB. If you are diagnosed with TB, all your close contacts and family members should be screened for TB to prevent the disease from spreading.

If you have been in contact with someone with TB:

See a doctor even if you feel well.
- You may have a latent TB infection — a hidden form with no symptoms that can progress to active disease if not treated.
Start preventive treatment if it is prescribed. In Bulgaria, TB prevention and treatment are free for everyone.
Ensure timely screening and treatment for children who have been in close contact with the person with TB.

Children are especially vulnerable and at risk of rapidly developing severe forms of TB.

Why this is important:

You can be infected with TB without having any symptoms.

That’s why early detection and timely treatment are crucial — they help protect your health and prevent the disease from spreading to others.

Questionnaire for your convenience

If you answered “Yes” to at least two symptom-related questions, it is recommended to seek medical help for further evaluation.

SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TB DISEASE RISK

No.	TB symptom screening questions	Answers
1.	Do you have a cough that has lasted more than 3 weeks?	Yes No
2.	Do you cough up phlegm/sputum?	Yes No
3.	Have you noticed blood in your sputum?	Yes No
4.	Do you often have a fever / elevated body temperature?	Yes No
5.	Have you lost weight without an obvious reason in recent weeks or months?	Yes No
6.	Do you know if any of your relatives, close contacts, or friends has TB now or had TB in the past?	Yes No
7.	Have you had TB before?	Yes No
8.	Do you have chronic conditions such as diabetes or cancer?	Yes No
Total number of “Yes” answers:

Region/City	Hospitals for tuberculosis treatment
Blagoevgrad	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases – Blagoevgrad EOOD – Blagoevgrad, 4 “Ts. Tserkovski” St.
Burgas	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases – Burgas EOOD – Burgas, 64 “General Gurko” St.
Varna	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases – Varna EOOD – Varna, 11A “Manush Voyvoda” St.
Veliko Tarnovo	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases “Dr. Treyman” EOOD – Veliko Tarnovo, “Sveta Gora” area
Vidin	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “Sveta Petka” AD – Vidin, 119 “Tsar Simeon Veliki” St.
Vratsa	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases – Vratsa EOOD – Vratsa, 93 “General Leonov” St.
Gabrovo	1. Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary Diseases – Gabrovo EOOD – Gabrovo, “Dyado Dyanko” quarter, 1 “Dr. K. Vaglenov” St. 2. Specialised Pulmonology and Phthisiatry Office (dispensary office) – Gabrovo, 35 “Hristo Smirnenski” St. – DCC 1, base 2
Dobrich	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment – Dobrich AD – Dobrich, 24 “Panayot Hitov” St.
Kardzhali	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “Dr. Atanas Dafovski” AD – Kardzhali, 53 “Belomorski” Blvd.
Kyustendil	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “Dr. Nikola Vasilev” AD – Kyustendil, 1 “17-ti yanuari” Sq.
Lovech	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary Diseases – Troyan EOOD – Troyan, 253 “Vasil Levski” St.
Montana	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “Dr. Stamen Iliev” AD – Montana, 4 “Sirma Voyvoda” St.
Pazardzhik	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases – Pazardzhik EOOD – Pazardzhik, 15 “Bolnichna” St.
Pernik	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary Diseases – Pernik EOOD – Pernik, “Golo Bardo” area
Pleven	Dr. Georgi Stranski University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment EAD – Pleven, 8A “Georgi Kochev” St.
Plovdiv	St. George University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment EAD – Plovdiv, 66 “Peshtersko shose” St.
Ruse	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases “Dr. Dimitar Gramatikov” - Ruse EOOD – Ruse, 1 “Aleya Liliya” St.
Silistra	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment – Silistra AD – Silistra, 80 “Petar Mutafchiev” St.
Sliven	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “Dr. Ivan Seliminski” AD – Sliven, 1 “Hristo Botev” St.
Smolyan	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “Dr. Bratan Shukerov” AD – Smolyan, 2 “Bulgaria” Blvd.
Sofia City	1. Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases – Sofia Region EOOD – Sofia, 309 “Slivnitsa” Blvd. 2. St. Ivan Rilski University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment EAD, Sofia, 15 “Acad. Ivan Geshov” Blvd. – Clinic of Pediatric Pulmonology and Phthisiatry
Sofia Region	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases – Sofia Region EOOD – Sofia, 309 “Slivnitsa” Blvd.
Stara Zagora	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases – Stara Zagora EOOD – Stara Zagora, 11 “Armeyska” St.
Targovishte	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment - Targovishte AD – Targovishte, 1 “Syuren” Blvd.
Haskovo	Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment of Pulmonary and Phthisiatric Diseases – Haskovo EOOD – Haskovo, 2 “Perushtitsa” St.
Shumen	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment – Shumen AD – Novi Pazar, 22 “Hristo Botev” St.
Yambol	Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “Sveta Panteleimon” – Yambol AD – Yambol, 30 “Panayot Hitov” St.