Reporting Tuberculosis

The Georgia TB Program has the legal responsibility for all TB clients in the state regardless of who provides the direct services under legislative authority O.C.G.A. Department 511, Chapter 511-2, Subject 511-2-3 TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL. TB services are available to all who fall within the service criteria without regard to the client's ability to pay.

Reporting Requirements

In Georgia, all persons with tuberculosis (TB) must be reported immediately to the public health authorities, including County Health Departments, District Health Offices, or the State TB Program. Physicians, hospitals, laboratories, and other health care providers are required to report any of the following:

Disease Reporting

All notifiable conditions should be reported to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Submit a report
  • Any person with confirmed active TB disease
  • Any person presumed to have active TB disease
  • Latent TB infection (inactive TB) in children under the age of 6 years

Confirmed and presumed TB is indicated by:

  • Any positive culture for M. tuberculosis,
  • Any positive smear for Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB),
  • Any positive nucleic acid amplification (NAA) test result for M. tuberculosis,
  • Treatment with two or more anti-tuberculosis medications,
  • Symptoms consistent with active TB disease and recent exposure to someone with active TB disease,
  • Symptoms consistent with active TB disease and a history of latent TB infection (inactive TB),
  • Symptoms consistent with active TB Disease and a positive tuberculin skin test (TST [TB skin test]) or TB blood test (interferon gamma release assay [IGRA]) for M. tuberculosis, or
  • An abnormal chest radiograph suggestive of active TB disease.

Latent TB infection (inactive TB) is indicated by:

  • A positive tuberculin skin test (TST [TB skin test]) or TB blood test (interferon gamma release assay [IGRA]) for M. tuberculosis, and
  • Confirmed or presumed active TB disease has been ruled out.

Reporting should never be delayed pending identification of M. tuberculosis with a NAA test or culture. Patients should be reported whenever TB is suspected, even if bacteriologic evidence of disease is lacking or treatment has not been initiated.

How to Report TB as a Notifiable Disease:

Report Immediately

What happens when TB is reported?

The TB nurses at the local health department will gather all pertinent information from the person making the report. The patient will be contacted to confirm their TB diagnosis and the nurses will coordinate and monitor their treatment. They will additionally schedule an interview so a contact investigation can be initiated to make sure all contacts are promptly identified, evaluated, and placed on treatment if appropriate.

Page last updated 6/27/24