TB Elimination

Montana has a lower incidence rate of tuberculosis (TB) disease than ever before in our state's history and one of the lowest rates in the country. This is largely due to the dedicated men and women at our local and tribal health departments as well as healthcare professional statewide. It is important to keep a watchful eye out and to "Think TB!" To reach our goal of TB elimination, we need to stop TB infection early. Most of our TB cases in recent years have either been individuals that were:

• Infected with latent TB  without getting treatment
• Those that traveled to or came from areas of the world where TB is endemic

Making sure that we treat TB infection quickly is the key to stopping it from becoming active disease, and eliminating TB in Montana. Help us eliminate TB by being more informed and getting involved. Below are additional resources to learn more about TB and how you can help!

New TB Rules in Effect

On March 24, 2017, several proposed changes in the Communicable Disease ARMs became effective, including changes to the TB rules. Some of the major TB changes are noted below. A complete summary of all the TB rule changes can be accessed at 2017 TB ARM Technical Guidance.

• The rule requiring TB testing of school and day care employees was REPEALED
• The use of Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) is now required for treating all active cases of TB
• Healthcare facilities must report to the local health department when discharging a patient with active TB