Australian national notifiable diseases case definitions
Tuberculosis case definition
This document contains the case definitions for tuberculosis which is nationally notifiable within Australia. This definition should be used to determine whether a case should be notified.
Communicable Diseases Surveillance
Print friendly version of Surveillance case definition for tuberculosis (PDF 11 KB)
Surveillance case definition
Version |
Status |
Last reviewed |
Endorsement date |
Implementation date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Point 1, under Laboratory definitive evidence was rewritten to include - excluding Mycobacterium bovis variant BCG from notification: “1. Isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. Bovis or M. africanum, excluding M. bovis var BCG) by culture” |
CDWG 7 April 2010 | CDNA 29 September 2010 | 1 January 2011 |
| 1.0 | Initial case definition (2004). |
Reporting
Only confirmed cases should be notified.Confirmed case
A confirmed case requires a diagnosis accepted by the Director of Tuberculosis Control (or equivalent) in the relevant jurisdiction, based on either:1. Laboratory definitive evidence
OR
2. Clinical evidence
Laboratory definitive evidence
1. Isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. bovis or M. africanum, excluding M. bovis var BCG) by cultureOR
2. Detection of M. tuberculosis complex by nucleic acid testing EXCEPT where this is likely to be due to previously treated or inactive disease.
Clinical evidence
A clinician experienced in tuberculosis makes a clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis, including clinical follow-up assessment to ensure a consistent clinical course.
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