Question

Can you get TB with a high CD4 count?

22 March 2022. Related: All topics, Opportunistic infections, South Africa, TB.

Is it possible to contract TB with a high CD4 count over 700 and undetectable viral load?

Answer

Answer: Rebecca McDowall

It is still possible to get TB when you have a high CD4 count.

People with high CD4 counts are at much lower risk of catching TB, but anybody can be infected. Many HIV negative people also get TB.

If you are worried about TB symptoms please talk to your doctor.

For more information about TB in South Africa you can download TAC’s “TB in Our Lives”. It has information about signs and symptoms, treatment and prevention of TB.

Further info

TB and HIV coinfection (from the i-Base training manual)
https://i-base.info/ttfa/5-ois-and-coinfections/7-tuberculosis-tb

UK (BHIVA) guidelines on HIV and TB coinfection.
https://www.bhiva.org/TB-guidelines

This question from November 2012 was updated in March 2023.