Key points
- Both latent tuberculosis (TB) infection and TB disease can be treated.
- Several treatment regimens for patients with latent TB infection or TB disease are available.
- Contact your state or local TB program or TB Centers of Excellence for Training, Education, and Medical Consultation for assistance treating people with TB.
Treatment options
The goal of TB treatment should be to provide the safest, most tolerable and most effective therapy for the shortest period of time.
Health care providers should choose the appropriate treatment regimen based on:
- Drug-susceptibility results of the presumed source case (if known), and
- Coexisting medical conditions, and
- Potential for drug-drug interactions.
Treatment for latent TB infection prevents TB disease. Progression from untreated latent TB infection to TB disease accounts for approximately 80% of U.S. TB disease cases.
Health care providers may consider several recommended regimens for the treatment of latent TB infection. Treatment can take three, four, six, or nine months, depending on the regimen.
Guidelines
CDC and the National Tuberculosis Coalition of America preferentially recommend short-course, rifamycin-based, 3- or 4-month latent TB infection treatment regimens over 6- or 9-month isoniazid monotherapy. Short-course regimens are effective, safe, and have higher completion rates than longer regimens.
Treatment regimens for drug-susceptible TB disease vary in the duration of the regimen, the types of anti-TB drugs prescribed, and the dose and frequency of the drugs. Given full treatment with an appropriate regimen, almost all patients will recover and be cured.
Guidelines
There are several treatment regimens for TB disease recommended for use in the United States. Treatment for drug-susceptible TB disease typically takes 4, 6, or 9 months depending on the regimen. Directly observed therapy (DOT) is the standard of care.
is complicated. Treatment should be managed by or in close consultation with an expert in the disease.
Treatment regimens should include only drugs to which the Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolate have documented or high likelihood of susceptibility. Treatment duration will depend on the clinical context, extent of disease, response to treatment, and other factors.
Guidelines
There are special considerations for latent TB infection or TB disease treatment for children, pregnant women, people with HIV, and people with other health conditions such as diabetes, renal or liver disease. Health care providers should consult with TB experts to determine the best treatment regimen.
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Care precautions
Health care providers should assess the patient's progress at least monthly. This evaluation includes clinical monitoring, laboratory testing, and patient education.
Consult CDC guidelines, clinical resources, drug package inserts, and other medical sources for information about side effects or drug-drug interactions.
Health care providers should advise patients to report any signs and symptoms of adverse drug reactions. Adverse reactions to anti-TB drugs are relatively rare, but for certain patients, they can be severe. Consult a TB medical expert to assist in managing severe adverse reactions.
Helping patients to complete treatment
Patient education
Health care providers should provide patient education that includes:
- Basic information about TB and the treatment regimen
- The importance of completing treatment
- Information on potential side effects of medication
Patient education materials are available in multiple languages and formats:
Directly observed therapy
CDC recommends directly observed therapy (DOT) as the standard of care for patients with TB disease. During DOT, a health care worker observes (in-person or virtually) a patient ingest the medications, monitors for adverse events, and provides social support.
CDC recommends video DOT (vDOT) as an equivalent alternative to in-person DOT.
Support for patients
Contact your state or local TB program or organizations like for information on support groups for people being treated for TB. CDC's TB personal stories video series highlights the personal experiences of people who were diagnosed and treated for TB.