Tuberculosis (Disease)
Reportable by Providers and LaboratoriesAbout this Reportable Disease
Infectious agent: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Description of illness: Tuberculosis (TB) is spread person to person through the air when a person coughs, speaks, or sings. TB bacteria can infect any part of the body, but generally target the lungs. Symptoms of TB include weight loss, fatigue, hemoptysis, cough lasting > 2 weeks, night sweats, and fever. Other symptoms can be reported depending on where in the body the bacteria have grown.
Interactive Disease Data
Laboratory Reporting for this Disease
Mycobacterium species (AFB)
| TEST NAME | Acid-Fast Bacilli | |
| DISEASE/DISORDER | Infections due to Acid-Fast Bacilli such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis | |
| ALTERNATE NAME(S) | AFB, TB | |
| METHODOLOGY | Culture-based testing | |
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| ORDERING INFORMATION | Lab Web Portal |
Specimen Requirements
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-Lowenstein-Jensen media (screw cap tube) or other appropriate media -Only pure cultures will be accepted
-Acceptable specimen types include: Abscess, body fluids, CSF, lower respiratory specimens (BAL, brush, wash, tracheal aspirates), sputum, tissue/lymph nodes, urine -Collect specimen (2 mL minimum) in a sterile, leak-proof container (50 mL conical tube) |
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| Specimen Acceptability and Rejection |
- Specimens that have leaked or were broken in transit - Media was liquified - Specimen contained GROSS contamination - Missing required information - Frozen specimens
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Laboratory Reporting
Reporting requirements apply to all laboratories located within Tennessee, as well as laboratories outside of Tennessee that test residents of Tennessee, including laboratories located within healthcare facilities. Healthcare providers and laboratories in the same healthcare facility both have a duty to report. The type of organisms and analytes laboratories must report to TDH for 2026 are indicated, and there are several ways laboratories can report results to TDH.
- Manually report results to TDH by faxing or mailing a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department, or faxing to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
- Automatically submit results to TDH via electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), which automates the process of sharing data with TDH using interoperability standards.
- See the ELR Onboarding Handbook for details on the onboarding process, checklist, frequently asked questions, business rules, message format, and vocabulary.
- To initiate the ELR onboarding process with TDH, register in the Trading Partner Registration (TPR) system TPR provides documentation for Promoting Interoperability (PI) attestation and milestone letters to document onboarding progress. Contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
- Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
- Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.
Information about this Reportable Disease for Healthcare Providers
Clinical Summary
- Tuberculosis (TB) disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can involve any organ system; without proper treatment, TB disease can be fatal.
- Airborne transmission: People with pulmonary or laryngeal TB can spread TB bacteria through the air when they cough, speak, or sing.
- Clinical presentation: Common symptoms of TB disease include cough (often prolonged), hemoptysis, chest pain, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and fatigue; symptoms may vary with extrapulmonary disease.
- Diagnosis and management: Diagnose with appropriate clinical evaluation and testing (including microbiologic testing when indicated) and treat with recommended multi-drug therapy, guided by drug-susceptibility and clinical factors.
- Tennessee reporting: TDH requires reporting for suspected or confirmed active TB disease (including prompt phone reporting and follow-up documentation).
Healthcare Provider Reporting
Healthcare reporting requirements apply to all providers located within Tennessee, as well as providers whose patients reside in Tennessee.
Providers must report cases of all diseases and conditions listed through one of these methods:
• Mail or fax a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department or fax to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
• Send automatically via electronic case reporting (eCR). See this TDH webpage for more information on eCR, register at the Trader Partner Registration website, or contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
• Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
• Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.
Information about this Reportable Disease for the Public
What Is It
TB disease happens when TB germs multiply in the body and make a person sick. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body.
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms often include a cough that lasts a long time, chest pain, coughing up blood, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and fatigue.
How It Spreads
TB disease in the lungs or throat can spread through the air when a person with TB disease coughs, speaks, or sings.
Diagnosis and Treatment
TB disease is treatable with prescribed medicines, but treatment typically lasts for months and must be completed as directed. For more Tennessee-specific information and resources, visit the TDH Tuberculosis Elimination Program webpage.
This Page Last Updated: March 25, 2026 at 8:53 PM