No, you cannot get tuberculosis (TB) from someone's clothes. Multiple reputable sources confirm this.
How TB Spreads
Tuberculosis is primarily spread through the air when a person with active TB disease coughs, speaks, or sings. The bacteria are inhaled by others nearby. It's crucial to understand that casual contact, such as sharing items like clothing, drinking glasses, or utensils, does not transmit TB.
Several authoritative sources, including the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factseries/exposure_eng.pdf) and HealthLink BC (https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/home-isolation-tuberculosis-tb), explicitly state that TB is not spread through contact with personal items like clothing, bedding, or shared surfaces. This is echoed by Johns Hopkins Medicine (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/tuberculosis-tb) and numerous other reliable sources.
While the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria can survive in certain environments for extended periods (e.g., in cockroach feces, as noted in https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/laboratory-biosafety-biosecurity/pathogen-safety-data-sheets-risk-assessment/mycobacterium-tuberculosis-complex.html), this does not translate to transmission via clothing. The risk of infection stems from inhaling airborne bacteria, not from contact with contaminated surfaces.
In summary, while TB bacteria can exhibit some environmental resilience, the transmission route is airborne, not through contact with clothing or personal items.
