August 2025

🔍Did You Know (DYK)? 

NTIP Indicator of the Month – Contact Identification Latent TB Infection (LTBI) Treatment Initiation and Completion

DYK the National Tuberculosis Indicators Project (NTIP) is a web-based tool that utilizes nationally set indicators to measure program progress toward achieving the National Tuberculosis (TB) Objectives? Using NTIP indicator reports, TB program officials prioritize prevention and care activities, as well as program evaluation. This month, the highlighted NTIP indicator focuses on contacts to AFB sputum smear positive TB cases diagnosed with LTBI who start and complete treatment.

Completing LTBI treatment can reduce the risk of developing active TB disease by up to 90%. Since TB often becomes active later in life when a person’s health status may be more complicated, treating LTBI while otherwise healthy is both more efficient and cost effective. Compared to active TB treatment, LTBI treatment is shorter, associated with fewer adverse events, and easier for both patients and providers to manage. Preventing the progression from LTBI to active TB disease through successful LTBI treatment completion remains a cornerstone to eliminating TB.

For people with contact to someone with infectious TB, LTBI treatment must be documented in the Washington Disease Reporting System (WDRS). Many Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs) refer patients to local private providers for LTBI treatment and are expected to follow up to obtain LTBI treatment information. Some LHJs have successfully established electronic medical record (EMR) access with local providers, allowing them to directly review treatment details without needing to contact the provider. LHJs may also consider managing LTBI treatment internally, if resources allow.

Washington State has consistently been above the national average when documenting LTBI treatment initiation and completion for people with contact to someone with infectious TB over the past 4 years and exceeded the NTIP 2030 target of 93% for treatment completion in 2021. However, continued efforts are needed to consistently meet the targets.

Questions about NTIP? Reach out the WA DOH TB Program at tbservices@doh.wa.gov.

Information for Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs)

Public Health Lab Courier Service

Shipping clinical specimens to the Public Health Laboratory? The courier service is available through June 30, 2026. If you have any questions about the courier service, please contact us at tbservices@doh.wa.gov.

Please note: If you're shipping specimens via the courier service, a shipping box is not required (Step 6 of Packaging Instructions on page 2 of Washington State Public Health Lab TB Specimen Submission Instructions). Please follow Steps 1-5.

💊Conserving TB Medication Supply

Due to the current state fiscal deficit, the state TB Program’s budget has not been finalized, delaying ability to place new orders for TB medications. Having foreseen this challenge, an effort was made in June to bolster current supply and since July 1st, orders have been filled using only the pill supply currently on pharmacy shelves. Until resolved:

• Please do not place large orders and order only a month's supply.
• Remain flexible on actual amounts ordered if on the shelf inventory of a particular medication runs low.

There remains plenty of the CDC isoniazid 300 mg and quantities are not being limited.

Medication order forms are posted on the TB Partners SharePoint Medications page. 

Like always, please reach out if you have questions to: tbservices@doh.wa.gov.

Upcoming Events and Education Opportunities

Innovations in Tuberculosis (TB) Webinar Series

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

• August 21, 2025 | Identification and Management of Adverse Reactions in TB Treatment
• September 18, 2025 | Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
• October 16, 2025 | TB and Diabetes: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges

August - September 2025 | 2025 Virtual National TB Conference

The registration website includes additional information about the conference sessions, the registration fees, the continuing education credits associated with the event, the 2025 Call for Abstracts, and Exhibitor and Sponsorship opportunities.

August 21 - September 26, 2025 | Level 1: TB Basics, Contact Investigation, and Latent TB Infection

The Curry International Tuberculosis Center (CITC) has updated its Tuberculosis Case Management and Contact Investigation Intensive by shifting from a series of live virtual trainings to a hybrid format.

September 1 - 26, 2025 | Fundamentals of TB Contact Investigation

This SNTC 4-week course is designed for nurses and field staff new to contact investigation and covers transmission and pathogenesis of TB, deciding when to initiate an investigation, determining the start and end of the infectious period, prioritizing contacts, communication skills, and cultural and diversity considerations. 

September 8 - 12, 2025 | SEATRAC 8th Annual Advanced TB Research Training Course

The University of Washington's Department of Global Health and the Seattle Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center (SEATRAC) are accepting applications for the 8th Annual Advanced TB Research Training Course. The course will be held over Zoom (virtual only) and the attendance rate is $100 per participant.

TB Expert Network Unplugged

This is a joint project among CDC’s 4 TB Centers of Excellence and CDC. Zoom links will be announced later. 

• September 11, 2025 10:00 am - 11:30 am PST - Mayo Center for Clinical Tuberculosis (MCCT)

• October 17, 2025 9:00 am - 10:30 am PST - Global TB Institute (GTBI)

• December 11, 2025 10:0 0am - 11:30 am PST - Southeastern National TB Center (SNTC)

October 6 - 24, 2025 | Foundations in TB Diagnosis and Treatment

This SNTC 3-week course was designed for healthcare providers new to TB and covers all aspects of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment.

October 8-9, 2025 | TB Clinical Intensive 2025

This Mayo Clinic conference provides healthcare professionals with the latest insights on tuberculosis (TB), including screening, diagnosis, and treatment of active TB and latent TB infection (LTBI). 

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.

• November 6, 2025 | Inside the TB Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons

Washington's TB Project ECHO

On Tuesdays 12:30-1:30 pm PT, join the 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.

Video Recordings and Education Opportunities

Mayo Clinic Innovations in Tuberculosis (TB) Webinar Series

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

• *New* From TSTin3D to TSTin4D: Enhancing Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment Decisions with Risk-Benefit Analyses, aired 6/18/2025

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

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

SNTC Online Courses
CME units are offered for these trainings. 

CDC

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

The Union

• Free Online Course - Interpretation of Chest X-Rays in Children with Presumptive TB
• Online Course on Management of Child and Adolescent Tuberculosis

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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