TB test false positive?

M

maya

New member
I had a first tb test done and it came back negative. However, the area was swollen and very red. redness stayed for like 1.5 week. I had my second tb done yesterday and the area is even bigger and more swollen. I'm 24, when I was a little baby I had a BCG immunization back in Poland where I lived. Does this mean I can have a false positive results?
 
Indeed! BCG immunization includes TB, so your body has antibodies against the TB virus. The test does not detect the virus, it reacts with the antibodies. People with the BCG vaccine tend to get false positive results with a standard TB test, and should be confirmed with a chest x-ray.
 
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