Order Your Own Tuberculosis (TB) Test with My Lab ReQuest™

While not as common in Arizona as other infectious diseases, tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that requires proper diagnosis and treatment to prevent it from progressing from latent TB infection to TB disease. Tuberculosis, which spreads through the air, can also potentially infect others around you. With My Lab ReQuest, you can order your own TB test without a doctor’s order and confirm your status.

Visit any of our 70 Patient Service Centers across Arizona to get tested. Once completed, your test results will be available over our secure online results portal in just a few days. Get tested to confirm your status and make educated decisions possible about your health care!

Why Order Your Own Tuberculosis (TB) Test with My Lab ReQuest?

Since the passage of the law in 2015 that allows for consumers in Arizona to order their own lab tests, thousands of patients have used our My Lab ReQuest service to take charge of their health and make more informed healthcare decisions. Our Tuberculosis (TB) Test is just one of the several infectious disease screenings we offer to patients to assess their health status for various diseases.

Patients choose Sonora Quest Laboratories to meet their lab testing needs for a wide range of reasons, including:

Award-Winning Quality

As the nation's largest integrated laboratory system, Sonora Quest Laboratories delivers award-winning quality services every day to more than 23,000 patients across Arizona. We are the #1 bioscience company in Arizona, according to Ranking Arizona, and we are also the only healthcare company to even win the Arizona Governor's Award for Quality. Most importantly, we are accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the organization whose accreditation ensures the highest standard of care for laboratory patients.

Convenient Locations

Schedule an appointment or walk in to any of our 70 Patient Service Centers located across Arizona! We have over 45 locations in Metro Phoenix, 14 locations in Tucson and Southern Arizona, and various other locations across Northern and Western Arizona. Moreover, several of our locations are conveniently located inside of Safeway markets so that you can plan your screening around your trip to your neighborhood grocery store.

Learn More about Tuberculosis (TB)

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There are two types of TB: latent TB and TB disease. A person that is infected with the TB bacteria, but shows no signs or symptoms of the disease, is regarded as having latent TB infection (LTBI). A person that becomes sick from TB is regarded as having TB disease.

A person that becomes infected with the TB bacteria will not necessarily develop active TB disease. However, people with latent TB and a compromised immune system are more likely to progress to active TB. The accurate diagnosis of TB is critical given the potentially fatal nature of TB.

Tuberculosis cases in Arizona

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there were a total of 188 reported cases of tuberculosis in Arizona in 2017. The incidence rates of TB vary by county. Visit the Arizona Department of Health Services website to view a map with incidence rates by county.

Who is at risk for tuberculosis?

While anyone can become infected with tuberculosis, there are certain groups at higher risk for infection. According to the CDC, the following groups are at a higher risk for TB infection:

• Healthcare workers
  
  
• The elderly
  
  
• Immigrants
  
  
• Homeless
  
  
• Inmates
  
  
• Military personnel
  
  
• People taking certain medications (i.e., TNF-blocker medications)
  
  
• People with a weakened immune system
  
  
• Public health officials working with TB control

As for the development of TB disease, the people at highest risk for the development of the disease are people that have recently been infected with TB bacteria and people with conditions that weaken the immune system.

The CDC reports that people in the following groups are at the highest risk for TB disease:

• People in close contact with a person with infectious TB disease
  
  
• People who have immigrated from areas with high TB rates
  
  
• Children less than 5 years old with a positive TB test
  
  
• Groups such as injection drug users with high rates of TB transmission
  
  
• People who work or reside with people at high risk for TB
  
  
• Babies and young children
  
  
• HIV positive
  
  
• Kidney disease
  
  
• Organ transplants
  
  
• Other conditions that weaken the immune system

What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?

A person with latent TB infection will not show any signs or symptoms of the disease. A person with TB disease, however, will show signs of the disease.

According to the CDC, the most common TB symptoms are:

• A bad cough that lasts over 3 weeks
  
  
• Pain in the chest
  
  
• Coughing up blood or phlegm from deep inside of the lungs

TB disease most commonly affects the lungs, and results in signs any symptoms associated with the function of the lungs. However, as the disease spreads, other symptoms of the disease may present themselves depending on the area of the body that has been infected.

How can you prevent tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis spreads by breathing in the TB bacteria. It is not spread by touch or by the touching of personal items. Tuberculosis is most likely to be spread by close contact for an extended period of time with a person that has been infected.

To prevent latent TB infection from becoming TB disease, it is important to discuss different medication options with a healthcare provider. Different medications can help to prevent TB disease. 

In addition, when traveling abroad to countries with high TB rates, the CDC recommends that travelers avoid close or prolonged contact with known TB patients and environments in which TB disease can more easily spread.

Who should be tested for tuberculosis?

To ensure a proper diagnosis and to prevent the spread of the disease, the CDC recommends that people at high risk for tuberculosis be tested. Members of the following groups should be tested:

• People who have spent time with a person that has TB disease
  
  
• People from countries with high incidence rates of TB disease
  
  
• People working in shelters, correctional facilities, or other facilities with high incidence rates of TB disease
  
  
• Healthcare workers caring for patients with TB disease
  
  
• Infants and you children that have been exposed to people with TB disease

In addition, some colleges and universities may also require that international students be tested for TB.

How is tuberculosis diagnosed?

Tuberculosis can be diagnosed with a skin test or blood test. Additional testing is required to determine if a person has latent TB infection or TB disease.

How is tuberculosis treated?

Treatment options for tuberculosis vary based on whether an individual has latent TB infection or TB disease. Depending on which condition a patient has, different medications and treatment plans may be prescribed. For more information on treatment options, contact your healthcare provider.

*It is solely your responsibility to promptly discuss all laboratory test results with a physician. Neither Sonora Quest Laboratories nor its Medical Director will provide interpretation, counseling, consulting, or care recommendations on the basis of any laboratory results provided to you.