March 2025

Recognizing World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24th World TB Day is observed in recognition of the day that Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 1882 and serves as a reminder of the collective global effort required to eliminate TB. This year's theme is Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver. Learn more about World TB Day by visiting the Centers for Disease Control's World TB Day webpage.

Congratulations to the U.S. TB Elimination Champions

We extend our congratulations to the individuals and organizations below who have been recognized this year for their outstanding accomplishments and contribution to eliminating TB in the United States. See the full list of 2025 U.S. TB Elimination Champions here. Here are the honorees from Washington State:

Alaska State Public Health Laboratory- Tuberculosis Lab.

From left to right: Rose Roa, Yvette Vergnetti, Roger Viloria, Brett Ewing, Theresa Savidge,  Jerald Hidalgo

Teresa Rugg, Snohomish County Health Department

Whitman County Public Health and CHAS Federally Qualified Health Center.

From left to right: Corrin McMichael, Shelby Bafus, Jamie Peters, Amanda Burks, Matthew Lassen, Chris Skidmore

Register Now for World TB Day Events at TB ECHO Join TB ECHO for two remaining World TB Day sessions in recognition of World TB Day on March 24th. Space is limited. Please note: You must register for the special events even if you are already enrolled in TB ECHO as they will be held separately from the regular weekly TB ECHO Zoom meeting link. Registration and session information available here.

• Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 12:30-1:30 PM, PT: World TB Day Survivor Speaker (Preenie Gill & Nicole Skaggs, We Are TB)
• Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 12:30-1:30 PM, PT: Tuberculosis in Washington (Kelsey Hewson, Washington State Dept. of Health) and Contact Investigation in a King County Congregate Setting (Donny Lee & Natalya Sarkisova, Public Health - Seattle & King County)

Information for Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs)

TB Lab Temporary Closure at State Public Health Laboratory

The Emergency Response Laboratory at the Washington State Public Health Laboratories (WAPHL) will be closed to undergo scheduled repair and maintenance from March through August. There will be a temporary change in services affecting TB and Emergency Response (ER) Lab testing.

There is no change in the process for lab specimen submissions. However, you should expect longer testing turnaround times from March 3 - September 1, 2025. 

Submitters will see a one-to-two-day delay in the turnaround when receiving reports. Because testing will be performed at another laboratory, submitters may notice differences in the report layout or design.

Submitters should continue to submit samples directly to the WAPHL using their normal process.

To report suspect cases or outbreaks of any notifiable conditions, follow the normal process for reporting to DOH.

Thank You to LHJs for Support on Data Cleanup and Reporting Deadlines

We extend our gratitude to our LHJ partners for all of their work and support in data cleanup. Their efforts have been instrumental in ensuring that CDC reporting deadlines are met this year. We truly appreciate them!

SAVE THE DATE: TB Virtual LHJ Workshop Series Mark your calendars!    The WA DOH TB Program is excited to announce that we will be hosting a series of virtual events this summer for LHJ TB partners, every Wednesday in the month of June (6/4/25, 6/11/25, 6/18/25, 6/25/25). Sessions will be shorter than a typical LHJ workshop (two to four hours), and will cover updates, training, and collaboration opportunities specific to tuberculosis.

A formal agenda, timeslot details, and registration information will be coming soon so you can save the date(s) for sessions that best align with your role. We will record sessions as permitted by the presenters and post the recordings on TB SharePoint should you be unable to attend a session of interest.  If you have interest in serving on the planning committee, or would like to present on a relevant topic, please email tbservices@doh.wa.gov.

Waste TB Medications? Please remember to report any medications obtained by your LHJ from the DOH TB program that your program had to dispose of. We request that you submit this information at least quarterly or as each situation arises. Send an email to tbservices@doh.wa.gov with the following details:

Medication type (e.g., rifampin, isoniazid, etc.)

• Dosage (e.g., 100 mg, 300 mg, etc.)
• Which program order form was used (340B, MMCAP, or Former CDC Stockpile)
• Reason for disposal (e.g., expiration)

Note: Unopened bottles of medications can be returned to the pharmacy if you know your LHJ will not use them. Please do not return medications that are within 30 days of expiration.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us by email.

Pharmacy Processing Slowdown Our normal pharmacy technician will be out from March 21 - April 21, 2025.  During this time, other technicians will be filling in. However, please anticipate that medication order processing may be slower than normal. We ask that you give extra time for order processing and reach out to us regarding any rush orders using our general program email box: tbservices@doh.wa.gov

Updated TB Partners SharePoint Resources  WDRS Quick Tips: Generating Case Count Lists EDN Release Notes 2025 Q1

Upcoming Events and Education Opportunities

March 19, 2025 | Highlights from NAR: The Riddle of TB Drug Resistance

This 3-session webinar series will highlight lectures from The Union-North American Region (NAR) 2025 Annual TB Conference. The first session in the series will be the annual NAR Union Comstock lecture. Register here.

Innovations in Tuberculosis (TB) Webinar Series

This Mayo Clinic Center for TB monthly webinar series offers healthcare professionals the latest insights in TB.

• March 20, 2025: TB Diagnostics Demystified: Practical Insights for Clinical Decision-Making
• April 17, 2025: Supporting Individuals with Tuberculosis and Mental Illness: Strategies for Care

March 24, 2025 | UCSF Center for Tuberculosis and Curry International Tuberculosis Center (CITC) World TB Day Symposium

This event is intended for all members of the tuberculosis community including healthcare professionals, researchers and advocates. Register here. 

March 24, 2025 | World TB Day Webcast 

Join TB experts from Heartland National TB Center, Texas Department of State Health Services, Baylor College of Medicine, IN-TRAC, and Texas Children’s Hospital as they discuss cutting edge topics in TB. Access brochure here. Register here.

March 26, 2025 | TB Hill Day Media Training

Stop TB USA and the TB Elimination Alliance will co-host a virtual, skills-based media advocacy training in preparation for TB Hill Day 2025 on April 9th, focused on leveraging more impact from participation. Register here.

Tuesdays in April 2025 | Wisconsin Virtual TB Summit

The Wisconsin TB summit returns in 2025 with weekly virtual sessions held every Tuesday in April! Join local, state, and national tuberculosis experts as they share their work to understand and improve care for people diagnosed with TB in our community. More information here.

Tuberculosis Civil Surgeon Webinar Series

This Mayo Clinic Center for TB webinar series provides civil surgeons with knowledge and skills in the management of tuberculosis screening, testing, and treatment for individuals who are seeking admission into the United States.

• May 14, 2025: Interpreting IGRA Results: Advanced Insights for Civil Surgeons

March 28, 2025 | SEATRAC Conversation with John Green about TB

Join University Book Store and Seattle Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center to discuss John Green's new book Everything Is Tuberculosis. Registration is required. Join waitlist here.

April 24, 2025 | 9th University of Washington Annual TB Symposium

Seattle TB Research Advancement Center (SEATRAC) is hosting the 9th Annual TB Symposium at Orin Smith Auditorium, South Lake Union. Space is limited, register by April 20th. Register here. 

July 15, 2025 | Tuberculosis Nursing Workshop - Seattle

This Curry International TB Center (CITC) training is intended for nurses, communicable disease investigators, and other licensed medical care providers who work with patients with TB.  Register here.

July 16, 2025 | Focus on LTBI - Seattle

This CITC training is intended as an introductory training covering the basics of latent TB infection (LTBI) diagnosis and treatment for physicians, nurses, and other licensed medical care providers who manage patients at risk for TB. Register here.

July 17-18, 2025 | Tuberculosis Clinical Intensive - Seattle

This training is intended as an advanced training for physicians and clinical care providers who diagnose and/or treat patients with active tuberculosis. Register here.

Washington's TB Project ECHO

On Tuesdays 12:30-1:30 pm PT, join our lunch-time virtual discussion about real TB cases with your peers. This free interactive event is guided by a panel of local TB experts. Click here for more information about this local project and our partners who make this ongoing event possible.

SEATRAC Seminar Series

SEATRAC hosts and promotes seminars, one Friday session per month from 12 - 1 PM, focused on TB basic and clinical sciences by local trainees', local and visiting faculty, and special guests.

Articles

Model-Based Analysis of Impact, Costs, and Cost-effectiveness of Tuberculosis Outbreak Investigations, United States

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.240633

A 28-Year Multicenter Cohort Study of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lymphadenitis in Children, Spain

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.241254

National Active Case-Finding Program for Tuberculosis in Prisons, Peru, 2024

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.241727

Outbreak Caused by Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis with Unusual Combination of Resistance Mutations, Northern Argentina, 2006–2022

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.241272

Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Kharkiv, Ukraine, 2019–2023

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.241675

Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Community Hospital, Luanda, Angola

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.241831

Evaluation of High-Dose Isoniazid in Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.241473

Portraying Tuberculosis through Western Art, 1000–2000 CE

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.231581

Lessons Learned from Early Implementation and Scale-up of Stool-Based Xpert Testing to Diagnose Tuberculosis in Children

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.241580

Themes of Holism and Reductionism in the Quest for the Cause of Tuberculosis

Emerging Infectious Diseases | March 2025 | doi: 10.3201/eid3103.ac3103

Video Recordings and Education Opportunities

Mayo Clinic Innovations in Tuberculosis (TB) Webinar Series

Access here.

CITC Archived Webinars
CME/CE units will not be offered for these trainings. Access here.

Rutgers TB Institute Webinar Archives
CE units are not available for these archives. Access here.

SNTC Archived Webinars
CME/CE units are not offered for these trainings. Access here.

SNTC Online Courses
CME units are offered for these trainings. Access here.

CDC

• TB 101 for Health Care Workers CE units expire on 11/6/2025. Access here.
• *New* Efficacy and Safety of 4-Month Rifapentine-Based Tuberculosis Treatments in Persons with Diabetes CME unit expires on 2/24/2026. Access here.

TB ECHO Recorded Archives
Missed a TB ECHO^® session? TB ECHO^® has didactic presentations available for viewing on YouTube. Handouts related to the presentation are included where appropriate. Watch recorded TB ECHO®.

Tools and Resources

Minnesota's Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health

• Access helpful tools, trainings, and updates for newcomers and refugee health here.

CDC

• CDC Learning Connection.
• CDC TRAIN is a comprehensive catalog of free public health training opportunities from the Public Health Foundation. For TB-related trainings, click here.
• FindTBResources.cdc.gov - TB educational materials for patients and providers.
• Visit Everyday Words for Public Health Communication to find plain language alternatives for public health jargon.
• TB Personal Stories patient videos to help raise awareness about TB in the US.
• we are TB offers comprehensive peer support for current TB patients and TB clinics, including weekly live support group sessions.
• Subscribe to the CDC's quarterly newsletter, TB Notes!

DOH Refugee and Immigrant Health Program

• Afghan Health Resources - Fact sheets, webinars, videos, and other health resources (scroll down for TB resources).
• Ukrainian Health Resources - Fact sheets, webinars, videos, and other health resources to support new arrivals from Ukraine (scroll down for TB resources).

Southeastern National TB Center

• Individualized Country Guides

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