The Iloilo City Health Office is promoting tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) to keep latent infections from progressing into active disease.

Latent TB can become active when the immune system weakens. It has no signs or symptoms, unlike regular TB infections that manifest with cough, fever or back pain.

In a press conference on Monday, national TB program coordinator for Iloilo City, Nurse IV Estrella Fortuna, said under target population under TPT take medicines to kill TB-causing bacteria.

Patients must complete the six-month treatment regimen, not just the two-month intensive phase.

“Otherwise, the infection might relapse, which would result in it being resistant against first line drugs,” she said.

TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, affecting the lungs.

Fortuna said it is curable and can be prevented, but since it’s an airborne disease, it can spread through droplet infection when sneezing, coughing and spitting.

The TPT targets all household contacts of active TB cases, children five years old and below, and vulnerable populations like persons living with human immunodeficiency virus, diabetics and malnourished children.

Active case findings registered 2,040 positives in 2025. Presumptive cases can be screened at district health centers.

“We have X-ray vans that offer free chest X-rays in the villages,” she said. (PNA)