National
Center for Farmworker Health
Monthly
Topics
December
2007
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that spreads through
the air. Only people who are sick with TB in their lungs are
infectious. When infectious people cough, sneeze, talk or
spit, they propel TB germs, known as bacilli, into the air.
A person needs only to inhale a small number of these to be
infected. Tuberculosis commonly attacks the lungs but can
also affect the central nervous system, the lymphatic system,
the circulatory system, the genitourinary system, bones, joints
and even the skin. It is unknown what the exact rate of tuberculosis
is among farmworkers, but they remain a very vulnerable population
that is perceived to be at higher risk for TB. Tuberculosis
in migrant farmworkers presents special problems because of
the need for long-term treatment or preventive efforts, contact
examinations, population mobility, fear of deportation, cost
of treatment, and other barriers to health care. The transient
nature of farm work and the long duration required for tuberculosis
treatment make it difficult to assure patient compliance with
screening programs, preventive therapy, and chemotherapy for
farmworkers. Language barriers and limitations in knowledge
about tuberculosis may contribute to misunderstandings about
the importance of screenings and if identified, completing
the treatment regimen. In addition, crowded living conditions
and malnutrition may contribute to the spread of tuberculosis
among this population.
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