Tuberculosis Reporting

Successful treatment of TB is dependent on good communication between our staff, health care providers, and the state TB program.

By law, you must notify us of anyone with suspected or confirmed TB within 24 hours of diagnosis. This includes medical providers, infection control providers, and laboratories. Routine follow up visits must also be reported.

On this page:

• Changes to how we follow up on referrals 
• What to report to us
• When to report to us
• How to report to us
• Your next steps after reporting

• Resources

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Changes to How We Follow Up on Referrals

September, 2024

We're seeing a steady increase in positive TB tests being reported to us. To best utilize how we follow up on TB related referrals, our TB team will:

• Continue follow up with people who have active and presumptive TB.
• Continue to initiate contact investigations for people with active TB.
• Case manage people with latent TB infection who:
  • Have barriers to seeking/continuing care (language barriers, risk facts that put them at higher risk for breakdown to active disease, newly positive TB test, contacts, newly arrived in the U.S., etc).
  • Are younger than 18 years old
  • Have HIV
  • Have abnormal imaging that may require sputum collection
  • Are uninsured

Clients with insurance

Clients who have insurance and minimal barriers to health care can have their latent TB infection treatment prescribed and managed by their provider. Any client who is prescribed a treatment regiment for latent TB infection and is not followed by us should still have their treatment status reported to our TB program per state statute. 

We are available for consultation for any TB-related care! Call our TB on call nurse at 608-266-4821 anytime Monday - Friday, 7:45am - 4:30pm.

What to Report

Clinicians and laboratories must report:

• Clinical suspicion of TB (Pulmonary or Extrapulmonary)
• A smear from any site that is positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB)
• A nucleic acid-based assay positive for M. tuberculosis complex
• A positive culture for M. tb complex
• Biopsy, pathology, or autopsy findings consistent with active TB
• A patient being treated with anti-TB medications for suspected or confirmed TB
• Any positive TB test (TB Skin test or TB Blood test/IGRA)
• Any patient being treated with anti-TB medications for Latent TB Infection
• Any patient who has finished treatment for Latent TB Infection

Outpatient Follow-Up

Clinicians are required to report:

• Continuation, discontinuation, completion and other outcomes of patient treatment (for Active OR Latent TB).
• Contacts of active TB cases who are receiving treatment for TB Infection.

When to Report

• Patients with active or suspected cases of TB in Dane County must be reported to us within 24 hours of diagnosis.  
• People with latent TB in Dane County must be reported to us within 72 hours.  
• Any follow-up on people with active, suspected or latent TB must also be reported to us. This includes starting treatment AND completing treatment. 

How to Report

People with Active/Suspected TB

• During normal business hours (Monday - Friday, 7:45 am - 4:30 pm):
  • Call the TB on call nurse at 608-266-4821, or
  • Fax a notification to 608-266-4858. If faxing, please also call TB nurse to confirm receipt of fax at number above.
  • Through Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance (WEDSS). If submitting a WEDSS web report; please also call TB nurse to confirm receipt of web report. 

Outside of normal business hours: 

• Call 608-267-3913. 
• If the line is busy, DO NOT leave a message. Hang up and try calling again in a few minutes. We may be working on a critical incident.

People with Latent TB

• To report a positive TB test, fax the LTBI reporting form to us at 608-266-4858.
• To order LTBI treatment through the health department, fax the LTBI Medication request form to us at 608-266-4858.
• To report LTBI treatment through a provider’s office, fax the LTBI follow up form to us at 608-266-4858 or submit a web report through Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance (WEDSS). 

Your Next Steps After Reporting

Tell the patient how to isolate if they have symptoms

• They must stay home until appropriate follow up is received (provider follow up, CXR, sputum collection, etc.)
• They are not allowed to go out in public (this includes school, work, church, large gatherings, etc.)
• They may go outside for fresh air and have their windows open
• Make sure they have masks to wear for the ride home and to medical appointments

Complete Follow Up

• Refer the patient to an infectious disease provider (or other provider who will manage TB care).
• Order a chest x-ray.
• Fax results to us at 608-266-4858
• A public health nurse will follow up with patient on the next business day to assess the need for home sputum collection.

Resources

Forms

• LTBI Reporting Form
• LTBI Request for Medication Form
• LTBI Follow Up Form
• Active TB Disease Request for Medication Form
• Risk Factors for LTBI Treatment

Treatment Guidelines

• Core Curriculum on Tuberculosis: What the Clinician Should Know
• TB Treatment Guidelines
• Treatment of Drug-Susceptible Tuberculosis
• Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Survival Guide for Clinicians, 3rd edition
• Frequently Asked Questions on Ordering TB Medications
• Provider Guidance: Using the Isonizaid/Rifapentine Regimen to treat LTBI