Tuberculosis test

Detailed information

Children arriving newly to Norway need to provide their vaccination records and are required to take a tuberculosis test before they start school.

People from countries with high rates of tuberculosis occurrences are obliged to take tuberculosis test if they are going to stay more than three months in Norway, and their children should be offered BCG vaccination. Public Health has prepared the list, as of September 2014.

All refugees and asylum seekers, even if they come from a country which is not on the list of high rate countries, are required to undergo a tuberculosis test.

If the result is negative for tuberculosis, students can start at school.

Parents always get this documentation of the test result from the vaccination and infection control office. This documentation needs to be submitted to the school before students start school.

What does “high rate” mean?

Which countries have high Tuberculosis occurrences is based on estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO).

From February 2013 countries with tuberculosis occurrences of 40 per 100 000 inhabitants or more, or who have a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis are considered as countries with high rates of tuberculosis occurrences.

The table below lists countries with high rates arranged by continent.

Europe and Central Asia Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greenland, Romania and all the countries of the former Soviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
America Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Suriname.
Oceania Guam, Kiribati, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Asia Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Yemen, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and East Timor.
Africa All countries except Egypt, Mauritius, Comoros, Seychelles and Tunisia.

http://www.fhi.no/tema/tuberkulose/land-med-hoy-tuberkulose-forekomst

Where to take a tuberculosis test

Tuberculosis test can be taken at «Vaksinasjons- og Smittevernkontoret» (the vaccination and infection control office) in Trondheim kommune.

Tuberculosis test is conducted every Mondays and Tuesdays between 8:30 and 10:30. It is not necessary to book appointments.

The vaccination and infection control office is located in Erling Skakkes gate 40 (Leühenhaven), entrance A and C. The office is open every day from 8:30-15:30.

From 15.10.2014, this tuberculosis test is done by blood test, IGRA-test. The result for the blood test is available after 4-7 days.

Relevant law

Regulation on the control of tuberculosis (Ministry of Health and Care)

Chapter 3: Obligation to undergo tuberculosis examination, implementation and monitoring etc.

  • 3-1.Obligation to undergo a tuberculosis examination

The following people are obliged to undergo a tuberculosis examination:

  1. a) People from countries with high prevalence of tuberculosis, who stay more than three months in Norway with requirements for a residence permit, registration certificate or residence card, as well as refugees and asylum seekers.
  2. b) People who during the past three years have stayed for at the minimum three months in countries with high rates of tuberculosis, and to accede or reoccur in position in the health care sector, in teaching positions or other positions related to child care.

The requirement also applies to people under training or work experience in such positions.

  1. c) Other people where there is a suspect medically or has been at risk of being infected with tuberculosis.
  • 3-2.Implementaion

Examination of the people mentioned in § 3-1 shall be carried out as soon as possible.

Refugees and asylum seekers should be examined within fourteen days of entry.

People mentioned in § 3.1 b) shall be tested for infectious tuberculosis and must not have symptoms or signs of contagious tuberculosis before the work duty begins. Employers have a duty to ensure that the result of the examination is available with negative result before starting employment.

https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2009-02-13-205/KAPITTEL_3#KAPITTEL_3