Xray still showing tb bacteria after treatment

[Grreeyyy]

I have been diagnosed last year of minimal tb without any symptoms and has already undergone the 6-month treatment. After it, i went and see my doctor and did an xray again. My results still showed that i have tb bacteria on my lungs. My doctor said that it would be finem After a month or so, i did another xray on a separate lab and my results still showed that i have tb. And now, i'm getting a job and it needs me to do a medical test. I am troubled that I may not be able to get the job because of my medical history and that my xray is still showing some tb bacteria on my lungs. What should i do?

[Stratocycle]

Maybe you can opt out of the xray because you just had one, and you can present your current one. Get a medical certificate/clearance from your doctor, it should say that you are fit to work, not contagious, and already undergone treatment. You can mention your medical history to your employer and tell them what your doctor said. It should be okay if this is an office job. If it's physically demanding then I'm not so sure, but it's okay if you feel okay and your doctor says you're okay.

[Grreeyyy in reply to Stratocycle]

Thanks for the tip. Will that tb bacteria stay in my body forever or will it disappear eventually? If so, how long does it usually take for it to disappear? I haven't asked my doctor about this yet and going out for a check up isn't really an option now due to coronavirus.

[HelenC Partner TB Alert in reply to Grreeyyy]

Hi Grreeyyy,

Confirmation from a medical professional that you have been treated for TB is accepted in the majority of cases.

It can be difficult to demonstrate you do not have active TB otherwise. TB can cause lasting scarring to the lungs that will continue to show up in a chest x-ray long after treatment. Also, the blood and skin tests look for antibodies to TB - signs that your body has encountered the bacteria - rather than looking for the bacteria itself. As such, you will test positive for TB for as long as those antibodies remain.

Best wishes,

Helen