ANNEX II
3.CASE DEFINITIONS OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
3.49.TUBERCULOSIS
Clinical Criteria
Any person with the following two:
Signs, symptoms and/or radiological findings consistent with active tuberculosis in any site
AND
A clinician's decision to treat the person with a full course of anti-tuberculosis therapy
OR
A case discovered post-mortem with pathological findings consistent with active tuberculosis that would have indicated anti-tuberculosis antibiotic treatment had the patient been diagnosed before dying
Laboratory Criteria
Laboratory criteria for case confirmation
At least one of the following two:
Isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (excluding Mycobacterium bovis-BCG) from a clinical specimen
Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex nucleic acid in a clinical specimen AND positive microscopy for acid-fast bacilli or equivalent fluorescent staining bacilli on light microscopy
Laboratory criteria for a probable case
At least one of the following three:
Microscopy for acid-fast bacilli or equivalent fluorescent staining bacilli on light microscopy
Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex nucleic acid in a clinical specimen
Histological appearance of granulomata
Epidemiological Criteria NA
Case Classification
- A.
Possible case
Any person meeting the clinical criteria
- B.
Probable case
Any person meeting the clinical criteria and the laboratory criteria for a probable case
- C.
Confirmed case
Any person meeting the clinical and the laboratory criteria for case confirmation
Antimicrobial resistance
The results of antimicrobial susceptibility tests must be reported according to the methods and criteria agreed between ECDC and Member States as specified by the European Reference Laboratory Network for Tuberculosis and the European Tuberculosis Surveillance Network49.