TB screening is mandatory if you fall in one of the following high-risk categories:

  • From or lived for two months or longer in Asia, Africa, Central America, South America or Eastern Europe
  • You are a health care worker
  • You are a volunteer or employee of a nursing home, prison or other residential institution
  • You have had recent contact with an active TB case

If any of the above apply, the following is required:

  1. ScreeningTuberculin skin testing (TST) may be medically indicated.
    • Call the Student Health Center at (314) 516-5671 to schedule an appointment for screening.*Note: A TB screening requires two appointments – one to place the TB test, and the second one 48-72 hours later to read the test.
  2. Prior TB screening
    • In some cases, we may be able to accept documentation of prior TB screening (Mantoux skin test read in millimeters of induration) that has been completed within the past 12 months and must be done in the United States.
  3. Quantiferon TB Gold or T-Spot
    • Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is a vaccine that is commonly given in countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis (TB). It is given most of the time at birth or as close to birth as possible. When a person who has had BCG gets a PPD skin test, the result will show a false positive due to the skin test reacting with the antibodies created by the BCG vaccine. In order to prevent this false positive and unnecessary testing, we are suggesting that any international student who had the BCG vaccine as a child get a blood test called Quantiferon-Gold, to determine possible TB infection. This test can be performed at UMSL Student Health for $75 and students can file a claim with their insurance to be reimbursed for that cost. Students are welcome to get this test in their home country as long as they can provide proof that it is the Quantiferon-Gold blood test they received.
  4. Chest X-ray
    • Required for anyone with a current or past positive skin test.
    • A negative chest x-ray is not a substitute for a skin test.
  5. Treatment
    • If you have been treated for TB infection or disease, please provide us with the documentation.